


Discolored Soul

by MyrianCarydark



Category: Kuroshitsuji | Black Butler
Genre: Betrayal, Caring Sebastian, Demon, F/M, Humor, Revenge
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-31
Updated: 2021-01-31
Packaged: 2021-03-18 09:00:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 39
Words: 38,452
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29115654
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MyrianCarydark/pseuds/MyrianCarydark
Summary: The story of how you, a pitiful street rat, were picked up by Sebastian Michaelis and given a life of comfort whilst seeking vengeance against those that wronged you in the past.
Relationships: Sebastian Michaelis & Reader
Kudos: 2





	1. Demented

People called you an abomination. A monster. Even a demon. The names you were given by humans varied greatly. Most of them were not incorrect. Sometimes you believed you were not human. 

“Die,” you said coldly, flashing your knives, and in an instant, your prey was stone-cold, not a drop of blood on his lifeless body. 

You didn’t have parents that you knew of, nor friends. For as long as you could remember, there was nothing but despair. People said you had been raised by the most fearsome of creatures imaginable, but that was untrue: you hadn’t been raised by anyone. 

“Tch. Only $5.00. What a waste of my time,” you grunted after having looted the man’s wallet. 

You only had a vague idea of how old you were, which was to say, 16. Growing up in a gutter wasn’t easy when you were a 16 year old. You had already been raped twice and nearly killed more times than you could count, whether due to betrayal or street thugs. Due to this, you had become a hard woman that didn’t trust anyone. 

You let out a long, slow sigh, leaning against the wall of the tall building. 

“Hey, little pretty, wanna play?” You shot the hoodlum a glare, and he flinched. “T-That scar... I’m sorry, your Darkness; please don’t kill me!” he blubbered. You walked over to the human, tilting your head. 

“Die.” In seconds, the hoodlum’s head rolled. 

‘Your Darkness’. That’s what people had begun to call you to your face. They may not know your appearance, but they know the Demoness of Alleyways by the scar under her right eye. The scar, which you had received when you were just a few years old, was a triangle, each point extending beyond where they would normally end. It was disorderly and lopsided, but it identified you nonetheless. 

Silently, you grabbed the collars of both corpses, forcing the hoodlum to hold his own head, and dragged them away, working your way towards the river. 

When there, you let out a coarse sound as you tossed them into the water. You watched as their bodies sunk to the bottom, getting washed downstream.

“Do you wish to die as well?” you asked of the watching passerby. Her eyes were wide as saucers. She quickly shook her head. “Then scuttle along.” The woman nodded rapidly and ran in the opposite direction. Was that a flicker of rage you had seen in her eyes? In her haste, the woman had dropped one of those cell phones you’d seen people your age walking around with. 

You picked it up, pressing the button on the side. Though the screen was cracked, it still worked plenty well. You swiped across the screen, discovering a colorful background arrayed with lots of little shapes. 

You scratched your head with some confusion; you had seen kids eagerly tapping away at these things; just what was so exciting about a glowing box? Still, you turned it off and pocketed it for later. It might be useful.

On your way back to your home (though it would have been more accurate to say ‘hole’), you spotted three starving children sitting huddled together. You considered killing them not only because they were in your territory, but also because death was better than living like that—you knew personally. 

However, you simply passed by them, venturing back into the darkness and arriving at the entrance to your home. Your home was open to the sky, created by four buildings in close proximity to each other. Two alleys served as a way to get in and out, though one had recently been blockaded. 

You curled up under the bundle of blankets you had managed to buy and did your best to fall asleep. You tried to tell yourself it was okay to sleep. Sometimes it worked. Sometimes it didn’t. 

In the end, sleep did not come, and you sighed, sitting up on the rough street before taking out the phone you had stolen. You unlocked it again, lazily tapping on an icon that reminded you a bit of a banana. “Frick; these are words...” you grumbled sullenly, staring at the lines of characters. 

Your reading skills were mostly limited to prices, and what little you could read brought back terrible memories. 

You tapped on the screen curiously, causing the phone to vibrate in your hands. You were startled, but you were more startled when someone’s voice came through. 

_ “To whom am I speaking?”  _ a man’s voice asked. 

“None of you business,” you growled, about to turn the phone off when the man continued to speak. 

“ _ Mistress, I believe that street rat took your phone.”  _ A feminine voice intruded. 

_ “Watch what you say, Sebastian! That woman dumped two bodies into the Hudson!”  _

_ “You really don’t trust my abilities, do you? I have dealt with more than a few people like her. In any case, I would like if you would return my mistress’ phone, rat.”  _

“No,” you growled before hurling the box against one of the walls surrounding you and retreating to yourself again. “I hate humans...” 

  
  


**Sebastian’s Point of View**

“ _ No.”  _ Shortly following the sharp denial, I heard a crash, and then there was silence. 

“I believe your phone has just been destroyed, mistress,” I informed. Her face turned ugly, and she started stomping quite ungracefully around the room. 

“Damn that bitch,” she swore. “To think that an owner of a demon would face such disgrace! That woman should die once and for all.” 

“Would you describe this woman for me, mistress?” She grinned, revealing a hint of darkness. 

“Scruffy H/L, H/C hair, hopeless E/C eyes, ghastly S/T skin. Wears baggy black clothing. She’s about E/H. Oh; and there’s a triangle-shaped scar below her eye. Everyone fears and hates her. People say she was raised by demons.” 

“I doubt that,” I muttered. Demons often ate their  _ own _ children, let alone a human’s. “I shall begin to look for her, mistress.” My mistress’ eyes filled with greed as her smile broadened to the point of insanity. 

“Bring me back her head.” 


	2. Predator

You stared up at the night sky, pondering. Maybe you could buy a few loaves of bread. That would stave off hunger, at the very least. You sighed, thinking about the taste of sweets; they were a luxury you hadn’t had in ages. 

Several times, you had thought about stealing from multiple people, but if you wanted to remain alive, you knew you needed to be very careful. You had already been involved with the police once, and yes, the inspector had been afraid of you. But fear made people do extreme things. 

Without warning, you felt something was off. You stood, glancing about you every which way, but there was nothing unusual in your sight. You drew your knives, walking towards the unblocked entrance, glaring through the darkness. 

“Well, well...” You growled, ready to kill whoever it was that entered through the alley. “My mistress described you as quite the unattractive wretch,” The voice was suddenly by your ear. “but I have some different opinions.” 

“Die.” With a mere flick of your wrist, you drove one of your knives deep into the man’s stomach, twisting for good measure. 

“Even for me, that does hurt, you know.” You turned, surprised that the man had not died. He wiped his mouth, stretching the black cloth away from him. “Ah, now my clothes are ruined again...” Though shocked, you thrusted the other knife straight into his heart. 

You flinched when the man grabbed hold of both your wrists, putting both into one hand while he dislodged both knives from his body. 

“Let go of me before I kill you with my teeth,” you snarled. “And get the Hell out of my alley!” The man chuckled slightly. 

“Very jaded, aren’t you? Alas, I cannot do as you wish. I am supposed to bring your head to my mistress.” You growled coarsely, baring your teeth. 

“Don’t test my patience, human.” The man softly chuckled. 

“I assure you human is far from what I am.” You lunged forward and bit his neck as hard as you were able. What were a few broken teeth if you could kill him instead of him killing you? “Stop that!” Why wasn’t his flesh breaking? Wait; was he  _ laughing?  _ “That tickles; stop it!”  _ Tickles?! _ You clenched your jaw muscles, finally meeting blood, but the man had fallen down laughing, taking you with him. 

“Let go of me!” you shouted, slamming his hand against the pavings, finding one of your knives inches away from your fingers. With a bit of stretching, you had it in your hand, about to cut up the man’s hand when you were rolled onto your back. You spat in the man’s face upon seeing his red eyes. “I won’t lose my life or my head.” 

“You’re full of fire, aren’t you?” the man asked, lazily wiping the spit off his face. “I am afraid you are far outmatched however.” 

“Then I will do everything in my power to take you with me,” you growled lowly, struggling against the man further. If only you still had the knife in your hand. The man chuckled. 

“But I think you’re worth keeping alive,” he said, a smile crawling across his lips. “My mistress instructed me to bring her your head. She never said it needed to be severed from your body. ” 

“Let go of me.”

“If I do that, then won’t you try to hurt me again?” 

“I might let you live if you keep away from me and never come back.” 

“Afraid that isn’t an option for me,” he replied, letting go of your wrists, and you were about to reach for your knives when he took hold of you again. “Ah, ah, ah,” he said, tying together your wrists with what appeared to be a tie. “I can’t have you attacking me while I’m carrying you now. And please don’t bite me.” You felt helpless as you were lifted up in the man’s arms, unable to do anything besides kick your legs. 

“I’m going to frickin’ kill you,” you hissed to the man as he began running. 

“I don’t think so,” the man replied blissfully, picking up his pace to a speed you could never hope to match. “By the way, I didn’t catch your name. You may call me Sebastian.” 

“Go screw yourself,” you grumbled, flipping him off. 

“You’re being rather rude to your savior; what have I done for you to be so harsh? Have I harmed you?” 

“I don’t just let people come and go in my territory. And you threatened me. I want my weapons. You’re just going to betray me like everyone else, so I’d prefer to go out fighting.” 

“Betray? My dear, I do not lie nor betray, unlike you humans.” 

“You’re so full of it!” you spat with malice as he stopped running, shifting your head onto his shoulder to knock on the door he was in front of. 

“Mistress, I have returned.” The door was shortly opened by the same woman you let go earlier. Her face quickly changed from delighted to disgusted. 

“I told you to bring me  _ her head _ , not  _ her!  _ Are you an imbecile?!”

“Your directions were imprecise, mistress,” Sebastian said smoothly. “You simply told me to bring you her head. You never said it couldn’t come with the body attached.”

“ _ Read between the lines, you idiot!  _ What’d you bring her here for anyway?!” 

“So that she would not die a meaningless death, mistress.”

“Since when do you care about someone else?!” 

“I do have a sense of aesthetics. This stray is quite amusing as well.” 

“ _ Amusing? _ She kills people on a regular basis—and oh my God you’re covered in blood! I told you she was dangerous!” You glared at the woman in front of you; you should have killed her when you had the chance. 

“Now what, human’s pet?” you asked of the raven-haired man. “Did you bother to think past your little master’s screeching? Or do you intend to leave me to her and let her kill me? Or try.” Sebastian sighed. 

“I have a name. In any case, I’ve decided to do something that nullifies your argument. Beatrice, let myself and my guest in, if you would.” 

“B-Beatrice?” the woman asked, shocked. “You will address me as mis—” 

“Need I remind you why I am contracted to you?” Beatrice nervously swallowed and quickly let Sebastian in. 

“N-No, sir...I’m sorry; I was being insolent.”

“That was quick,” you said dryly even as Sebastian set you down on a couch, and you tried not to let yourself relax as he walked away. It was comfortable here. “Don’t think I want to know what that was all about, but now that she’s out of the way, are you finally going to untie me?” 

“You told me you would kill me,” Sebastian called over from what appeared to be the apartment kitchen. 

“And I will.” Sebastian sighed, walking back over with two cups of—was that tea? He was giving a prisoner tea? 

“I suppose it wasn’t going to be that easy. You can live here, you know. Beatrice won’t mind.”

“Yes, I w—!” The woman quickly shut her mouth and ran into the next room, seemingly afraid of Sebastian. He handed you a teacup. 

“I’ll trust you not to break that and try to kill me with ceramic shards. If you try anyway, I’ll have to tie you up much more securely. You should know you can’t kill me already.” You stared at the cup of tea before taking a very cautious whiff, trying to detect any obvious poisons. The scent of tea was strong, but you could smell something else... sugar...?

You gingerly took the cup and stared at it, wincing as your stomach groaned. Way to give away the fact that you were starving. “Would you like something to eat?” 

“Shut up,” you said with a glare. “I don’t trust any of you humans.” 

“As I’ve been saying, I am far from human...” 

“Keep pretending, Romeo,” you groused, still staring into the tea. You were tempted by the sugar, but past experience told you not to take a single sip. 

“Well, I suppose we’re getting somewhere with the name...” Sebastian paused, noticing you still had not taken a sip of tea. He took the cup from you and quickly took a sip before handing it back to you. “Have I proved that it’s not poisoned?” 

“No,” you replied gruffly. Still, you succumbed and rapidly drained the cup. The sweet, delicious taste you had been deprived of filled you with delight, and you almost smiled. Almost. 

Again, your stomach growled, and you swore at it to shut up, causing the man in front of you to laugh slightly. 

“I’ll make something for you to eat.” 


	3. Dinner

**Sebastian’s Point of View**

Despite the stray’s protests, I stood, walking over to the refrigerator and taking out several ingredients. I had thought about making dessert, but she needed something more fulfilling than sweets. She was staring at me, her eyes piercing yet puzzled. 

“How old are you, out of curiosity?” I asked as I got out a pan. 

“How old are you?” she countered harshly. I laughed slightly. 

“Oh, I lost track a very long time ago. My age is probably somewhere around the thousands.”

“Yeah right, and I’m the Queen of England,” she said with a snort. I smiled slightly. 

“Which one? The first?” The stray became oddly silent. 

“Not even close,” she said quietly. Something told me I’d hit a sore spot. 

“You really don’t want me to know anything about you, do you?” 

“Information can be used against me.”

“I suppose I’ll have to give you a nickname then...” 

“Wha—?” I turned to look back at her, noting her appearance. She was scruffy and rough, but she reminded me of a stray alley cat. Maybe that was why I found her entertaining. 

“I’ll call you Kitty,” I said, smiling as I cooked a chicken breast, seasoning it as I did so. 

“Wh—don’t go deciding these things on your own!” I chuckled softly. 

“Then would you like to tell me your name?” Kitty was silent. “Then I’ll call you Kitty, little stray.” I let the chicken cook while I quickly tossed up a salad. Judging by Kitty’s stare, I hadn’t lost my touch. 

“What are you making?” she asked after a few moments of silence. 

“Spiced chicken and fresh caesar salad. I might have some chocolate somewhere too...” 

“Chocolate...?” I looked at Kitty from the corner of my eye to discover she was salivating, almost drooling, and I chuckled to myself. She was good at restraining herself, but she couldn’t resist the thought of food. 

I took a quick look through the cabinets to discover a bag of chocolate chips. I waved it at her before setting it down, again pondering if I should make dessert. Hmm, what to do...

**Your Point of View**

You continued to stare at the man who had kidnapped you, saved you (?) and begun to cook for you. What was wrong with him? He could have killed you several times over already; though you were stubborn, you knew that. Why was he doing this?

“Dinner is ready,” Sebastian said, setting a plate in front of you. As promised, it had a cooked chicken breast and a salad by the side. Now that it was in front of you, you could feel the drool spilling from your mouth; it had been so very long since you’d had a decent meal. Your stomach whined, telling you to eat already, but you continued to hesitate. “Now, I would untie you, but I think you’ll try to attack me again.” 

“And you’re going to force-feed me?” you spat, struggling against the tie again. How could mere cloth be so strong?

“You’re so stubborn,” Sebastian said, chuckling. “I promise I haven’t poisoned or drugged anything. If there would be anything I get out of this, it would be your delighted face from my cooking. I am quite vain in that area, you see.” He finished with a closed-eyed smile. 

“What’s with all the smiling?” you questioned as he cut the chicken into small pieces. 

“What’s with all the scowling?” he returned. You laughed bitterly. 

“If you were me, you would be scowling too. Smiling is an expression of happiness, something I have not had in quite some time.” You eyed the knife Sebastian held, questioning if you could grab it if you lunged. 

“That’s quite unfortunate,” Sebastian said, poking a fork into one of the pieces of chicken. “Say ‘aah’, Kitty.” 

“I can feed myphelf,” you tried to say, but he took the opportunity to put the fork in your mouth. 

“Of course you can; you’re not a child, obviously,” he replied, letting you chew on the tender piece of meat. “But I would prefer not to get stabbed again, so I won’t trust you with anything mildly sharp until you calm down.” 

“I’m perfec—” 

“I’m sure,” Sebastian interrupted with another piece of chicken. Eventually, you resigned and let the man feed you. You had to admit his cooking was marvelous. Was he a world-class chef or something? Maybe that was just the hunger speaking. 

Sebastian smiled at the empty plate and took it away. You felt warm, your hunger pangs gone. Your uneasiness dulled in the presence of comfort, but you tried your utmost to keep your guard up. “Do you have room for dessert?” Sebastian asked as he placed a mahogany-colored frosted cake in front of you. 

“Frick,” you cursed, staring at the slice of cake. 

“This is a Devil’s Food Cake. Rich chocolate cake with chocolate frosting. I assume you like sweets?” 

“Of course I like sweets,” you mumbled, staring intently at the cake. Sebastian chuckled, slicing off a small triangle for you. 

“Then be sure to tell me how much you like it.” Simply put, the cake was divine. It was rich with flavor, sending your head to the clouds. It seemed as if you were slipping in and out of reality. “Well? How was it?” You didn’t respond for a few moments. 

“I can’t describe it,” you mumbled, embarrassed by your unguarded state. You brought your knees up to your chest, trying to glare at the man in defense. 

“Indescribably delicious?” Sebastian inquired. 

“Yes...”


	4. Adornment

“Perfect,” Sebastian replied with a smile before taking the empty plate away. “Please wait a few moments while I attend to my mistress.”

“You mean Beatrice?” Sebastian chuckled. 

“It’s a bit complicated, you see.” You rolled your eyes when he turned his back and walked into the room you had seen that woman retreat into. He shortly returned to you, ruffling his hair exasperatedly. “I need to eat her soon,” you heard him mutter to himself, surprising you. 

“And what do you mean by that?” you questioned, surprising him, only receiving a smile in return. 

“A secret.” He stared at you for a few moments. “I wonder if I have a spare comb somewhere... Come with me, Kitty.” You wanted to tell him to stop calling you that, but it was either that or your real name. You got up as ordered, wondering where he was taking you. 

He made you sit on a stool without a back, and before you knew it, there was a tugging sensation at your scalp, making you whip around. Sebastian was holding a comb, a few strands of hair in his hand. “I apologize, but your hair is full of knots.”

“Who cares?” you asked with a snort. 

“I do,” he replied simply. 

“Why? So you can sell me off as a prostitute?” Sebastian laughed. 

“I would much rather keep you for myself in that case. I have no interest in human currency; in fact, I still have my wages from when I served as a butler during the reign of Queen Victoria. The coins I have would probably be worth a fortune.” 

“Just want me for yourself, huh? Am I to be a pet or a slave then?” 

“Neither,” Sebastian replied, making you wince as he pulled on your scalp. “It isn’t often I encounter humans I like. I’m not entirely sure what I would call you. A tenant, maybe? Then again, tenants pay rent...” 

“Why are you being so nice to me?” you asked sternly of the man. He continued to comb through your hair, not answering for a few moments. 

“You’re amusing. My world is, to put it lightly, boring. I crave entertainment.” 

“Then go to the movies or something,” you grumbled. 

“They bore me,” Sebastian replied flippantly. “Then again, I had the most fun antagonizing people during the second World War, so that probably tells you something about my personality.” 

“Give me a precise detail about that time.”

“Hitler wore red socks.”

“And why do you know that?” Sebastian chuckled. 

“You probably don’t want to know.” 

“I’m sure I’ve heard worse,” you replied gruffly, patting your hair, realizing Sebastian had finished. It was wiry, but you could run your hands through it without problems. 

“Well, I had been planning on stealing a certain something from a very flirtatious woman, but there was a room mixup.” 

“A certain something?” you asked with an eyebrow raised. 

“What you assume is probably correct, Kitty. Now then, what shall you wear? Though you might require a bath first...” 

“I swear to whatever idiot is up in the sky that if you try and bathe me, I’ll drown you in your own blood.” Sebastian chuckled at your ferocity, holding up both hands in surrender.

“Alright, Kitty, I won’t wash you. But I do need to take a few measurements so your clothing fits.” Out of nowhere, Sebastian got out a soft tape measure. He wrapped it first around your arm, your neck, then your belly. “Stand up, please.” You stiffened as he measured your waist and then your thigh. However, the entire process had taken less than a minute; you almost doubted he had even looked at the measures. “One moment please,” Sebastian said with a smile, disappearing into the room opposite the one Beatrice was moping in. 

While he was occupied, you turned to look at the door to the apartment that you had come through not to long ago. Now was your chance to escape. You were beginning to move when you stopped. You didn’t want to leave this warm, bright apartment. And though Sebastian seemed a bit odd, you had to admit you liked him, at least a little bit. Maybe it was because he seemed less and less human. 

Sebastian emerged from the room he’d been in, a white dress shirt and black slacks folded over his arm. 

“And how do you plan for me to change with my wrists bound?” you growled, still straining against the tie. Though you did like Sebastian, it didn’t mean you trusted him. People lie. That was something you had learned the hard way. Sebastian sighed. 

“You won’t like my plan, I’m sure,” he said, walking over to you. Skilled fingers quickly undid the knot on your wrist, and you were about to smack him and run, at least to other side of the room, but somehow, you couldn’t. “Please don’t make this difficult, Kitty,” Sebastian said with a sigh, holding the hand that had been about to strike him. To your greater surprise, his eyes were covered with the tie that had previously been restraining your wrists. “You could make this easier on yourself if you calmed down,” Sebastian grumbled, somehow easily managing to take your shirt off while restraining you  _ while blindfolded.  _

“You are not making your situation any better you damn pervert,” you snarled. “What the Hell’s the point of a blindfold if you’re looking through it?” 

“I assure you I cannot see your body. I am inferring where you are based on vibration, sound, scent, touch, and your body heat. I can determine plenty from that,” Sebastian promised. 

“That’s impossible.” 

“You speak of impossibility when the shirt is already on you. Though I wonder if I should have fashioned a dress instead...” As he was saying that, you were attempting to kick him, though he had caught your foot. He gave you a disapproving look. “Kitty, stop trying to hurt me. I may be immortal, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt.” You let out a coarse, short laugh. 

“Immortal? Don’t kid yourself, Weirdy.” Sebastian sighed. 

“I really wish you would call me by my name. Though I admit I did rather loathe it for a while, it is what I prefer to be called. I wonder what I must do to make you believe me. You’ve already torn into my abdomen and my chest cavity, and yet I’m miraculously alive. If you desire proof, then I can show you I’ve healed most of the way.” You stared at Sebastian, puzzled. Again: what was wrong with him? 

Before you had realized it, the tie was back around your wrists, and you were standing in your new dress shirt and black pants, which fit you comfortably well. You stared at his eyes, which practically radiated mischief and something else. Something you couldn’t quite identify. You had to admit, you had never seen a more peculiar human. 

“What if I never stop trying to kill you?” Sebastian smiled sweetly. 

“Then I suppose I’ll just have to break you of the habit. I would really rather not deal with your homicidal mood all the time.” He paused, glancing in a corner. “Would you look at the time! You need to go to bed.”

“What? No, I don’t!” you protested as he pushed you along, leading you to a large bed that looked so comfortable, as if simply by plopping down on it, you would say hello to dreamland. 

“Come now, Kitty. I can see the bags under your eyes.”

“I don’t need sleep,” you retorted stubbornly. 

“I am concerned for your health, my dear,” he said seriously. “Lack of sleep can cause detrimental problems, some of which I am sure you’ve experienced. I would rather you were healthy and preferably happy.” 

“Why would you care?” 

“Sullen, sickly company isn’t easy to keep.” With that, he pushed you slightly, and you fell on the bed. You glared at him. 

“I hate you.” He laughed.

“No you don’t.”


	5. Nightmare

**Sebastian’s Point of View**

It took a little more convincing, but I did eventually manage to get Kitty to sleep, though it was only by threatening I would hold her in bed if she didn’t. She seemed very keen not to be in bed with me, which I found interesting. Perhaps she was afraid I would take advantage of her?

Once I was certain Kitty was asleep, I walked away and worked my way towards Beatrice’s room. It was time I collected my payment. 

“Get out of here, stupid demon!” Beatrice shouted when my foot touched the threshold. I grinned; it was always rich how they begged. 

I closed the door behind me, walking closer to my crooked mistress. 

“Why should I?” I inquired. “Ours was never a proper contract, after all, Beatrice. I don’t have to obey when night falls.” 

“Why now?! Of all times?! I was going to get married!” I chuckled. 

“If it’s any consolation, your fiance was a cheating mongrel, much like you actually. Birds of a feather, I suppose the old saying goes. As for why?” I grabbed her chin, leaning close, my smile broadening. “You bore me now.”

**Your Point of View**

Hearing the scream from your sleep, you woke up and quickly, though silently, made your way to where you had heard it from. 

_ “Birds of a feather, I suppose the old saying goes, _ ” you heard Sebastian say from inside the room you stood outside. You gently eased the door open a few inches, extremely careful not to make a sound. Sebastian had grabbed Beatrice by the chin, revealing sharp teeth as he grinned. “You bore me now.” 

Beatrice tried her best to struggle, yelling and trying to hit Sebastian. With shock, you realized Sebastian’s eyes were glowing crimson, his pupils black, vertical slits. The room turned darker, and Beatrice appeared to have spontaneously fallen asleep, and Sebastian emitted a low, evil chuckle. “ _ Dinner, _ ” he whispered before he kissed Beatrice on the lips. 

To your immense amazement, Beatrice’s body disintegrated into nothing, and Sebastian leaned away, licking his lips. “Not half-bad for being desultory.” What had you just seen? He wasn’t human after all? He had been telling the truth?

You were backing away from the door, if only to get away from any immediate danger, when the floorboard creaked. You heard a sigh. “Kitty, I understand that you may have been woken by my unseemly mistress’ screams, but I would have preferred you had stayed in bed.” 

“Just what are you?” you growled as an arm wrapped around your midsection. 

“I am simply one  _ hell  _ of a butler,” he whispered next to your ear. Then, he released you, beginning to pace about. “IS what I would normally say, but I’ve just killed off my latest master. To be more correct, I am a demon without a master. I suppose you don’t need any more proof to believe that.” 

“What did you do to her?” you asked cautiously, turning to look back at the demon. Sebastian smiled. 

“I ate her, of course. Her soul, more specifically. She agreed she would willingly hand over her soul if I asked for it though. She said it meant nothing to her if it meant getting what she wanted.” 

“Did she get what she wanted?”

“Oh, yes. But I didn’t devour her then, because she had just become fun. So instead, I modified the contract to say that I would serve her with all of my being during the day, but during night hours, I would be free to do as I wish. With time, she became conceited and weak. She grew to care about her soul and feared me more than anything else. Then you came into the story. You were far, far more interesting than my dull mistress.” Sebastian grinned, leveling his head with yours. “So I took what I wanted.” 

You stared at Sebastian unflinchingly, considering the information you were given. He killed the person who wanted you dead. Plus. He wasn’t human. Plus. He had sheltered and fed you. Plus. He wasn’t making any move to harm you at the moment. Plus. He might harm you in future. Minus. 

“What is the likelihood of you killing me?” you asked. Sebastian tilted his head. 

“I do not plan on making a contract with you, so I do not have the slightest inclination of ever ending your life. Quite the contrary, I plan to extend it as long as possible.” 

“And only for the purpose of entertainment?” He smiled. 

“So glad you’re following. Yes, I want you to live so that you can amuse me.” 

“What does ‘amusing’ you entail?” Sebastian chuckled, turning away from you. 

“That, dear Kitty, I leave for you to find out yourself.” Your eyes narrowed suspiciously. 

“And what’s to stop me from leaving?” 

“Oh, nothing. Besides me and yourself.” 

“Myself? How would I be my own obstacle?” you asked, almost laughing at the idea. Sebastian chuckled, glancing back at you. 

“I’m sure you’ll find out soon enough,” he replied mysteriously. “Now then, I believe you need to go back to bed. I do hope my appearance has not caused any nightmares.” You scoffed as you began to walk away. 

“Nightmares are the least of my frickin’ problems,” you muttered. “And I’ve seen far, far more nasty things than you. Don’t flatter yourself, Sebastian.” You could tell he had paused. 

“Are we using my name now?”

“Sure thing, you damned imp.”


	6. Obscurity

You woke the next morning, feeling well-rested for the first time in a long while. This, you thought was strange. Why were you comfortable? Why were you in a stranger’s bed? You hadn’t done... that, had you? 

However, upon further consideration, you remembered yesterday’s events. You took a quick glance around, finding that Sebastian was thankfully not in the bed you were sleeping in, nor was he in the general proximity. You sighed with relief. 

With some difficulty, you got out of bed. You had been more tightly wrapped in the blankets than you remembered, and getting out of them with your hands still bound was a little hard. You would need to convince Sebastian to remove the binding soon; this was becoming very irritating. 

You walked out into the living area again to find Sebastian passed out on the couch, an arm and a leg hanging over the side. If there were two beds here, then why was Sebastian using the couch? Who cared if he’d killed the person who’d been sleeping in it? You certainly wouldn’t. 

Cautiously, you crept towards the sleeping demon, observing his relaxed state. You flicked his cheek, and he did not stir. You brushed his eyelashes, but there was still no reaction. So he was actually asleep. Time to look for a scissors. 

You made your way to the kitchen area, looking for a pair in drawers, on the countertops, anywhere you would find one. On the countertop was also a knife block, where there was a clear space meant for scissors. 

“You have got to be kidding me,” you groaned. Though you had been thinking about taking the scissor idea and stuffing it down the trash can of bad ideas, there were no sharp objects in sight. 

When you looked over at the couch to make sure Sebastian was still asleep, you made an exasperated sound to see that all of the knives were between his fingers.

“Looking for these?” Sebastian asked, tossing several into the air and expertly catching them. 

“Asshole. You weren’t really asleep after all, were you?” Sebastian chuckled. 

“So you caught me. Sleep is a luxury to us; I have not truly slept for at least a hundred years. And what did you intend to do with these little beauties?” 

“Cutting off this stupid tie,” you grumbled. “It’s annoying.” 

“Really? You didn’t want to kill me?” 

“At the moment, no.” Should you try to charm him? No, he wouldn’t fall for that; it’d be too out-of-character. He said he would untie you when you stopped trying to kill him. Right now, you didn’t, if only because you’d just had a good night’s rest for once. Would he release you then? Or would he keep you tied for the sake of his own amusement?

“Hmm, shall I untie you then?” Sebastian questioned himself as he walked closer to you. Despite how you wanted to order him to, you stayed silent, simply staring at him in case he would take any insistence you provided in the opposite direction. He was, after all, the kind of person who would do that. 

Sebastian smiled, and you restrained yourself as a hand settled on both wrists. “Well, Kitty? Will you behave yourself?” Sebastian asked by your ear, and you flinched. 

“Stop doing that!” you protested vehemently, taking several steps back. Sebastian chuckled. 

“Does this bother you?” he whispered by your ear again, and you ground your teeth. 

“What the Hell do you think, demon?” you growled, pushing him away. “The last person who did that—they...” You trailed off, clenching your fists. 

“What did they do?” 

“None of your business,” you growled. “I don’t know why I’ve told you anything.”

“It must be this face. Women seem to love it,” Sebastian remarked with a chuckle. 

“I’m sure,” you remarked. “But I’ve been through far too much to be attracted to someone based on appearances.” Sebastian laughed. “Mocking me? Really?” 

“Ah, but you can’t help it, Kitty. Humans look at each other’s faces to help determine if they are a potential threat. You judge others based on appearances; it’s a simple fact. Demons like me adhere to that idea and fashion ourselves into looking the best for the purpose of charming you.” 

“Well, I’m not interested,” you groused. “I’d be stupid to let anything as superficial as appearances get through to my heart.” 

**Sebastian’s Point of View**

Kitty’s eyes appear wounded as she speaks of her heart. Something most definitely unpleasant happened to her. My guess would be betrayal. 

“You’re afraid of being hurt by me,” I remarked casually, wondering if my hunch was correct. Kitty was silent. Suspicion confirmed. “There really is no need, my dear. I am not human, after—”

“I DON’T CARE!” she shouted, interrupting me. A tear had run down from her face in her anger, and I stood, confused. “I don’t trust anyone anymore. Each and every last one of them... Why am I even still here?” Kitty brought her hands up to her forehead. “Undo this knot now, Sebastian.”  _ Capricious; just like a cat.  _

“No,” I replied simply. 

“Now,” she growled at me. 

“No.”

“Now!” 

“No.” 

“NOW!” 

“No.” In desperation, she started biting at the knot, trying to undo it with her teeth. I made no move to stop her; after all, I had used one of my own knots to secure my tie around her wrists. “I’m not going to let you go into those streets again, Kitty,” I said calmly. 

“I don’t need protection from anyone but you,” she hissed with fury. “I was doing just fine before you came into my life.” 

“I have seen others like you, Kitty. Some lasted many years, but I don’t imagine you will last for much longer. People will come after you by the dozens with guns. You’re all alone, Kitten. You will lose.” 

“You don’t know that!” she spat. “I’ve already dealt with three gangs on my own. Even if it’s the entire mafia, I’ll take on all of them!” I chuckled. 

“I have seen your skills first-hand, Kitty, and I know your capabilities. A few minor gangs, I will give you. However, I doubt you would be able to escape any mafias that wanted you dead. Organized crime syndicates exist because they’re good at what they do.” Kitty glared at me.

“And what? I’m just supposed to stay here?” I smiled. 

“Yes.” 


	7. Guest

I glanced at the clock—10:00 A.M. It seemed I had let Kitty sleep in a little too late. No matter; it wasn’t as if my visitor would be distraught to see another lady in the apartment. 

A second before the first minute passed, there was a knock at the apartment door. 

“Yes, yes; I will allow you in, Mr. Daviano,” I called, crossing the room. “Kitty, please make yourself comfortable. We may continue our talk after I speak with Mr. Daviano.” Kitty rolled her eyes, but surprisingly followed my instructions without complaint. Maybe I was getting somewhere. 

“Oh, you’re still here, Mr. Michaelis...” the brown-haired man mumbled as I opened the door wide. I gave him a knowing grin. 

“Naturally,” I replied, stepping aside to allow him in. 

“Though I do see a new face! Who’s the young lovely?” I felt some rage bubble to the surface, as he was staring at Kitty with clear interest. To her credit, she didn’t give the cretin even a glance. Mr. Daviano cleared his throat. “Anyway, where’s Beatrice? We were going on a date today, so I’ve come to pick her up.” I chuckled softly. 

“She isn’t here at the moment, I’m afraid. Would you like me to make some tea while you wait?” Mr. Daviano shrugged. 

“Sounds good to me. I’ll have the usual then.” I smiled politely before returning to the kitchen area. Now, to make ‘the usual’. 

**Your Point of View**

To your irritation and discomfort, Mr. Daviano sat next to you, his dark blue, lying eyes intently staring you up and down. 

“So what is your name?” he asked. You stayed silent for a little while before deciding to respond. 

“Kitty,” you lied. It came off the top of your head, what could you say? Mr. Daviano smiled. 

“Well, the name does become you, I must say,” he said, and you could feel your rage build as a hand settled on your thigh. 

“Remove your hand,” you growled. “ _ Please, _ ” you added for the sake of politeness. 

“You all say no at first, and then you beg later. Why don’t we just skip this step of denial and—” You grabbed his hand and broke it, baring your teeth as you grabbed his throat. 

“ _ Do you want to die, punk? Don’t mess with the Demoness of Alleyways, _ ” you snarled by his ear. 

“You bitch! You broke my arm!” Mr. Daviano screamed. “Michaelis, help me!” 

“Catch, Kitty,” Sebastian intoned boredly, and you were startled to find a knife in your hands. “I hope you know how to do a bloodless murder. I would prefer not to clean it off the floor.” You gave a wicked grin before killing Mr. Daviano quickly. 

It was only after you had killed him that you realized you had full use of both hands. You looked back at Sebastian to discover him wearing the black tie once again, smiling at you. 

“You were going to kill him all along?” 

“Well, I had been planning on poisoning him, but I see no problem with you killing him for being a disturbance.”

“And you released me why?” Sebastian raised an eyebrow at you, a smile crawling across his face. 

“Did you not wish to be released?”

“But you were being so obstinate about it.” 

“I saw that Mr. Daviano was going to try something you wouldn’t like, so I allowed you to act on your own. I didn’t care what you would do to him; after all, the poison I have for him is quite a slow and torturous one.”

“Should’ve laced the blade with it then,” you muttered. “I hate men who touch me so knowingly, meaning to take everything.” You ground your teeth as you remembered those people. What horrid memories.

“I suppose then that you must really hate me. I’ve already touched you knowingly several times.” 

“At least you knew when to back off,” you mumbled. “They threatened me. Beat me. Made me scream.”

“They?” You snapped out of your trip down memory lane, shaking your head. 

“Nothing. Where did you plan on putting this body?” 

“Nowhere,” Sebastian replied, allowing you to change the subject. “Step away from him, if you please.” You raised an eyebrow, but you stepped back a few paces. Sebastian snapped his fingers, and the corpse was set alight, burning into nothing. Miraculously, the floor did not burn. 

The next thing you knew, there was a frantic knock at the door. 

“Beatrice? Hello, Beatrice, are you there?” Sebastian sighed, walking over to the door again and putting a smile on his face. 

“Yes, Mrs. Turner? What seems to be the problem?” he asked pleasantly. 

“O-Oh, Mr. Michaelis. Well, I heard a scream from this apartment, and the next thing I knew, I smelled smoke! Are the two of you alright?” Sebastian smiled. 

“Rest assured, Mrs. Turner, the yelling was a little spat I got into with my girlfriend. As for the smoke, that would be a little something I burnt during that time.”

“Girlfriend?” Mrs. Turner asked, looking under Sebastian’s arm to peer at you. She grinned brightly and then clearly startled Sebastian with a hug. “I’m so happy for you, Mr. Michaelis! I’ll be sure to send you a little something as a sort of congratulations!” With that, the woman cheerily bustled off. 

“I wish she would stop hugging me,” Sebastian muttered, closing the door. 

“Girlfriend?” you questioned dryly. 

“You are a girl that is a friend, correct?” Sebastian paused. “Not that I’ve ever made one on purpose. It’s rare, finding people that genuinely like me.” You snorted. 

“Don’t think I can help you with that. I’ve never had a friend.” Sebastian walked back to you, staring for a few seconds before he offered his hand. 

“Then,” he said, for once almost seeming to be struggling to speak. “would you like to be mine?” 


	8. Allies

You stared at Sebastian’s offered hand. No one ever offered a finger, much less a hand, to you, especially not if they knew you. 

“Friends might be a bit of a stretch,” you remarked, to his displeasure. However, you let the ghost of a smile grace your lips as you took his hand. “Why don’t we start with allies?” Sebastian smiled in a defeated way. 

“I can work with that,” he responded. “In any case, what would you like for lunch?” You shrugged. 

“I’ll take anything edible.” You paused, a bitter thought entering your head as you remembered being so hungry that you’d started to eat cardboard. “Sometimes even inedible or poisonous.” Sebastian smiled before turning towards the kitchen. 

“Well now, I’ve been given creative license,” Sebastian remarked with a slight laugh. “This should be interesting.” You watched as the demon, with a smirk across his face, started tossing things on the counters, including a package of noodles. 

“What  _ are  _ you making?” you questioned, staring at the wide array of ingredients. Sebastian chuckled. 

“It’s a surprise, for now. Though I must make a note to go to the store soon; we are running out of flour and eggs. To occupy your time, are there any questions you have for or about me?” You stared at him for a few seconds. 

Then: “Do all demons have red eyes?” 

“No; they range from red to yellow. Sometimes you’ll find the occasional peculiar case of icy blue or royal purple,” Sebastian responded with a smile as he skillfully cut an assortment of vegetables. 

“Where did the name ‘Sebastian Michaelis’ come from? Such a modern name doesn’t really suit an ‘ancient’ demon.” 

“It was the name I received from one of my favorite masters. Unfortunately, he quite disagreeably chose to name me after his dog, but even I grew fond of it after being called by that name for years.”  _ After his dog?  _ You let out a small laugh. 

“I’m guessing you don’t like dogs, do you?” Sebastian looked at you over his shoulder.

“Please tell me you don’t hate cats.” You almost cackled. 

“You love cats? A demon loves cats?” The idea seemed absurd. 

“Yes, I’m an ailurophile, and yes, I rather detest dogs. Cats are soft and independent while dogs are coarse and loyal. And I really would like to buy a cat despite the fact that the apartment doesn’t allow pets, so please tell me you don’t despise them.” For once, you gave Sebastian a small smile. 

“Are you kidding? Alley cats kept me company when I was on my own. They even kept me warm sometimes.” Sebastian paused slightly before he smiled with his eyes closed. 

“Delighted to hear it, Kitty.” You smelled something good coming from the pot on the stove. Again, and you couldn’t help yourself, you started drooling. 

“Frick,” you swore, wiping your mouth, making Sebastian chuckle. “Shut up!” 

“I am flattered, really,” Sebastian said with a smile as he filled a bowl with whatever he had been making. “I present a bowl of Shōyu Ramen, a type of soup served in Japan, and as I recall, this particular variant is the specialty of Tokyo.  O tanoshimi kudasai. [Please enjoy.]” 

You took the fork, glad you were able to eat by yourself this time, and speared several things onto it, only one of which you knew the name of. Again, you were delighted by the taste of the food, and you couldn’t resist hungrily wolfing down the delectable dish. 

“Were you a French chef or something?” you asked as you wiped your mouth with the back of your hand, and then, realizing you shouldn’t let the broth go to waste, licked your hand. Sebastian chuckled. 

“No; I was simply one  _ Hell  _ of a butler.”

“I take it that’s your catchphrase?” you questioned dryly, spotting more broth left in the bowl. How could you have missed it? 

“You know, there’s more left on the stove; you don’t have to lick your bowl clean,” Sebastian suggested. 

“What about you? Don’t you eat?” That quite obviously surprised Sebastian, but he smiled, taking your bowl and returning to the pot the ramen had been made in. 

“Afraid I do not understand human taste. Souls are the only taste I comprehend.” 

“It’s too bad you make things that are so mouthwatering—stop smirking; I can see you—and you can’t understand what it is you’ve made.” Sebastian chuckled as he handed you a second bowl. 

“It did take a test dummy, practice, and quite a bit of reading, but I did manage eventually. I enjoy the reactions I receive, as I understand it is unusual for a male to be able to cook.” Sebastian paused as you devoured the second bowl. “There is no need to rush, you know.”

“Habit,” you muttered, setting the bowl down again. 

“You know I am quite curious about you as well, Kitty,” Sebastian continued, taking your bowl away, about to refill it until you motioned to your stomach. You were comfortably full, a feeling you seldom ever had. 

“That much was obvious, judging by how much you kept wanting to know my name.”

“You still don’t want to tell me, do you?” You paused, considering. It wasn’t that you didn’t want to tell him; it was that you were afraid he would use it against you. 

_ “Why don’t we start with allies?”  _

Your words from earlier seemed to mock you as you stayed silent. You breathed deeply, finding yourself relaxing on the couch. You felt sleepy. 

“It’s F/N.”


	9. Irritation

**Sebastian’s Point of View**

I almost dropped the bowl I had been carrying to the sink, shocked by Kitty’s—or rather F/N’s—revelation. I glanced back at her to ask a question, but she had passed out, seeming to be trying to cuddle with the cushions, almost making me laugh. I held my amusement in so as to not wake her as I quietly set her bowl down. 

I paused as I stared at her sleeping form; she really did look like a cat the way she was curled up like that… She shivered slightly, and I impulsively unbuttoned my tailcoat, about to lay it across her shoulders when I shook my head at myself. 

I slung it over my shoulder as I fetched a blanket from Beatrice’s bedroom and instead covered F/N with the luxuriously soft material. I felt a smile tug at my lips as she clutched the blanket, her fierce eyes relaxing. 

“Now then…” I said to myself, replacing my tailcoat. “I believe it’s time I went out.” 

**Your Point of View**

You woke sometime later, finding a large, F/C blanket draped across your form. You sat up quickly before you realized you were still in the apartment. You looked around, not seeing Sebastian. 

“Sebastian?” you called out, walking around the apartment, finding a note written on the kitchen counter. 

_ I’ve gone out for groceries (and a cat). I will return by nightfall. If Mrs. Turner, or another tenant, visits, do not be afraid to allow them in; however, if they are a woman naming themselves as Miss Mavros, however irritating she may be, do  _ not  _ kill her. _

Almost as soon as you’d finished reading the letter, there was a knock at the door. 

“What perfect timing,” you muttered sardonically as you walked over to the door and hesitantly opened it. “Who is it?” The bright woman from earlier today was practically bursting. 

“Oh; we haven’t properly met! I’m Alicia Turner from the floor below you. Your uptight boyfriend calls me Mrs. Turner, but I honestly prefer Alice! I came to deliver this—can you be a dear and make sure this gets to him?” Alicia nudged a box towards the door. 

With great hesitancy, you asked, “Would you… like to come in and wait for him?” Alicia smiled brightly and tapped your head, making you flinch. 

“Nope; this is just a short trip!” She started to whisper, “Between you and me, that boyfriend of yours is really something else. My husband is jealous of him; he would rant about how he must play around since he’s not married, but I think there’s something he’s hiding from everyone else.”

“Oh yes; there’s something,” you muttered, slipping the package through the door, thinking about the many things Alicia didn’t know about her neighbor. Alicia smiled. 

“I suppose he would tell you, wouldn’t he? Bye then!” You watched her retreating figure from the crevice of the door before you closed it, looking down at the package you had received. 

You weighed it in your hands; it felt quite light. Had Alicia simply given you a box? 

Since the box was not sealed, you took a little peer inside to discover another, smaller box, along with a gleaming, decorative knife. You shrugged at the occurrence, guessing it was some sort of custom. You set the box on the coffee table, about to sit again and possibly play with the knife, but there was  _ another  _ knock at the door. 

“What do you want  _ now _ ?” you grumbled, opening the door again for Alicia—except it wasn’t Alicia. Instead, there was a tall, severe woman with graying black hair and sharp gray eyes. “Who are you?” you asked warily, still not wanting to allow anyone into the apartment. Inwardly; you cursed yourself: you were becoming soft. Meek. 

“Miss Mavros. Would you fetch Beatrice? She needs to pay her rent for this month.” 

“For the love of...” you groused quietly, making the woman raise a thin eyebrow at you as you opened the door wide enough for her to enter. “...come in. Beatrice isn’t here at the moment.”  _ And never will be ever again _ , you silently added. 

“And you are?” You glared at Miss Mavros, not liking her tone one bit.

“Kitty,” you growled before pacing over to the couch and plopping down. 

“I’m sure I’ve seen you before... Or at least been warned about you.” A warning bell rang in your head, and your hand strayed towards the box. That knife, though it was decorative, had looked decently sharp. “Ah yes,” she said, sitting next to you. “You’re that infamous murderer. What was the name given to you? The Demoness of Alleyways? The Darkness? Or even the Black Panther.” You stood, your teeth bared in a snarl. 

“ _ If you know that, then why are you provoking me?”  _ you snarled lowly. The woman lazily rolled her eyes. 

“You are so frightening, deary. Would you really do any harm to me without fear for the consequences? You would have to leave this place of comfort.” 

“ _ I have lived without comfort all my life. Do you think this makes any difference in my miserable existence? Do not test my patience. _ ” 

“Do not test mine,” Miss Mavros intoned grimly, and you reached inside the box in an instant, the knife in your hands. 

“Kitty, what did I warn you about?” You froze, your gaze flickering to Sebastian. He walked closer to you, all the while speaking. “I told you that, no matter how irritating she may be,” Sebastian slipped the knife from your hand as he leant next to your ear. “do  _ not _ kill her.” 

“Ah, Mr. Michaelis. Do you know when Beatrice will return?” Miss Mavros asked, unruffled by your behavior. 

“No, I do not. However,” Sebastian foraged around in his coat, getting out a stack of cash that made your eyes bug out of your head. Just how much did he have?! “I have enough here to cover the rent for the next couple months. And I request that you do not provoke my Kitty any further, as she is very high-strung.” Miss Mavros stood, taking the bundle and nodding slightly. 

“Be sure to keep your ‘Kitty’ on a leash. I don’t need to deal with deceased tenants.” Sebastian fakely laughed. 

“You won’t have to worry about that, Miss Mavros.” His eyes narrowed at her. “After all, I dispose of corpses with great care.” Something in Sebastian’s voice sounded threatening, though you weren’t sure what exactly it was. What was more surprising was the flicker of fear in Miss Mavros’ eyes. Though, as quickly as you saw it, it was gone. 

“Until next we meet,” she called boredly before exiting the apartment. Sebastian sighed. 

“I truly do despise that woman.” 


	10. Curiosity

“I truly do despise that woman,” Sebastian muttered, flicking the decorative knife in his hand. 

“Why do you hate her?” you questioned, still staring at the door, wondering if another person would rudely arrive. You hoped you would never have to face Miss Mavros again, because if you did, Sebastian might not be able to stop you a second time. Sebastian didn’t answer for a few moments, going back towards the door. Had he heard something you hadn’t? 

Sebastian returned inside with several bags in his hands, which he set on the kitchen counter. 

“She may seem calm and cold, F/N, but when I am the only one present, she will not hesitate to become passionate. Miss Mavros is a recent widower. In fact, she became one the instant I began serving Beatrice. Don’t you think that to be a bit strange?” 

“She killed her husband because she wanted you? I have heard and seen worse, but it seems like she might be gone in the head.” 

“No; she is perfectly sane,” Sebastian responded, lifting a package of flour out of one of the bags. “Miss Mavros’ soul is rotten to the core, swallowed by greed and lust. Since she is the landlady, she is also the one that forbids cats.” 

“And what is that?”

“Mreow!” 

“A kitten.” From inside one of the bags, Sebastian had lifted up a small tuxedo kitten. “What do you think I should name him?” You cracked a smile, then actually started to laugh. “What?” 

“You,” you said, shaking your head. “Name him C/N.” Sebastian tilted his head at the cat. 

“C/N?” The kitten mewed, sounding happy. “I think my little ball of fluff likes his name.” The kitten started wriggling and broke free of Sebastian’s hold to start wandering around the apartment and sniffing everywhere. Sebastian smiled, staring a few moments more at the kitten before putting all of the supplies away. 

“Mreower!” C/N mewed at your feet, pawing your leg. You softly smiled at the kitten, gently petting his head, instantly eliciting a surprisingly loud purr from his small throat. 

You made a surprised sound as the kitten jumped onto your lap and nestled close to you, his head tucked against your stomach.

“Someone took a quick liking to you,” Sebastian muttered.

“Jealous, dem—Sebastian?” 

“Actually, no,” Sebastian spoke with a bright smile. “Because you’re adorable when you smile.” 

“Adora—you want me to kill you?” Sebastian chuckled, turning his back. 

“And when you’re flustered too. It is nice to see more than your unhappy scowl. With you and C/N, I think I will be quite content for a while.” 

“You are jealous,” you grumbled, resuming to pet the kitten. “Anyway, Turner came by, and she dropped off this box for you.” 

“I am sure what is in that box is meant for you, F/N.” Hesitating no longer, you took the box and turned it upside down to allow the smaller box to tumble onto the coffee table. 

Realizing the smaller box had a lid, you took it in your hand, weighing it. Hadn’t you seen a box like this in one of those fancy shops that you could never dream to enter? 

You lifted the lid of the box to discover a silver necklace with the most shiny black stone you’d ever seen inlaid in it.

“This is valuable, isn’t it?” you questioned, staring at it. 

“I imagine so; Mrs. Turner has always been very generous. As far as I can tell, this knife is made of pure silver and true rubies. Where she acquires such objects and why she gives them away is unknown to me. I suppose she intended for me to gift that to you as a romantic gesture.” 

“Jewelry doesn’t suit me, and I don’t suit it,” you replied stonily, replacing it in its box. Either return it to her or sell it; I don’t care. Hell, you can wear it yourself if you like.” Sebastian chuckled. 

“I have some different opinions,” he said, walking over to you and picking up the box, fully taking the necklace out of its container. 

“Just what do you not understand about what I just said? What you think doesn’t matter.” You stood, but Sebastian made you sit back down again, kneeling as he swiftly clasped the ornament around your neck. You were about to try and take it off when he firmly, though gently grabbed your hand. His eyes were serious. 

“Perhaps not for appearances then. But F/N, always keep this from now on. Should you choose to run from me while I am away or otherwise unable to keep you here, I would prefer it that you do not fall so far again.”

“Let me guess: so your job is made easier when you kidnap me again.”

“Precisely,” Sebastian responded with a closed-eyed smile as he stood. 

“But would it not be more  _ exciting  _ if you actually needed to work?” Sebastian laughed. 

“This is why you’re entertaining. However, I was also trying to make your life easier. Why is it you refuse so vehemently?”

“ _ Nothing in this world comes without a price, _ ” you softly intoned. 

“Has it occurred to you that I am the price?” Sebastian inquired. “After all, I am, what is the word? Eccentric.” 

“‘Eccentric’ doesn’t cover it. You’re a demon; get it right.” Sebastian chuckled slightly before he handed you the silver knife. 

“I think you should keep this as well, since I still haven’t given you back your knives. You feel more secure with a weapon, yes?” 

“I’ll sleep with it under my pillow every night,” you said, mirroring his expression. “Just in case you decide to do something stupid.” Sebastian smiled but said nothing else. Your gaze directed to the knife in your hands. 

Clearly, the blade was very sharp, and you had no doubt it would easily slice flesh. Originally, you had thought the rubies along the blade were merely for show, as a crevice that could fill with blood would only be a disservice. However, not only it was almost as if the rubies were part of the metal, it also seemed they were not cut smoothly, meaning they could scratch at the slightest touch. 

The handguard, which had two of the precious red gems on either end, was nicely spaced from the handle, leaving you with a comfortable amount of room to place your hand. There was something else: the knife felt perfectly balanced. 

Was this really a decorative knife? Or was it meant to be used? 

You looked even closer at the blade, finding a faint inscription written there:

**_Destinia_ **


	11. Frenzy

“Sebastian, what does Destinia mean?” you asked. Sebastian glanced back at you. 

“I imagine that was what the knife was named. If I had to guess, the craftsman gave it the dual meaning of cutting the thread of destiny and reaching a new destination.” You continued to stare at the knife; it seemed to be speaking to you, asking to be used. 

Though you hadn’t truly realized it since you hadn’t been out of the apartment for many hours, you were hungry for blood. 

While you were on the streets, it was a necessity to kill people who so much as gave you a malicious look as it could be the difference between life and death. And due to the cruel nature of the people who you disposed of, you often quietly enjoyed killing them. Perhaps that made you insane to think that.

But you couldn’t stop. 

You could not become soft.

**Sebastian’s Point of View**

“F/N?” I questioned, but the door had closed as I turned around, and I sighed. “I will be back, C/N,” I muttered to the new addition, who had been cleaning a paw. 

“Mreow?” he mewed, looking at me, his head tilted. I smiled and patted his head before I turned and opened the door. C/N bounded over to me and mewed at my feet. “You can’t come with me,” I chided. The kitten, quite deviously, looked at me with the most round eyes I’ve ever seen. 

Before I knew it, I was holding the little feline and running as I scented F/N. “You’re going to be as much of a piece of work as F/N, aren’t you?” I asked the kitten, and he meowed at me, and I shook my head, smiling. 

I landed on top of a roof, spotting that quickly running alley cat of mine. She was intently focused on someone walking around with a bag of groceries. 

I watched with interest as she silently came up behind the man and whispered something in his ear before she quickly slit his throat. She then whipped around and killed a witness that had been lurking where I could not see. 

However, F/N did not stop there. She stabbed the man repeatedly in the chest, before slamming her foot into his ribcage. I could hear the cracking of his bones, not to mention the man’s garbled, dying scream. I must say the sound was quite pleasant to my ears. 

The second, which she pulled into view, was a woman with blond hair. “Well now,” I said with a smile as F/N began to carve and viciously bludgeon the woman’s face—again while she was still alive. 

“ _ For the wounds you inflicted upon me,”  _ I heard F/N begin as the two screamed in their death throes. “ _ you must pay twice the amount you took from me.”  _

In mere minutes, the savage butchery of the two was over; however, F/N still did not walk away. Rather, she tore off their clothing and used it as ropes to hang them in the alley as a decoration.

Only then did F/N walk away to wash her dagger in a puddle. Hold on a moment; were those rubies glowing? I closed my eyes and opened them, checking that I wasn’t imagining it. No, there was no mistake: they  _ were  _ glowing. 

Why would that be? My mind wandered, focusing on glowing rubies. Carnwennan’s rubies glowed in the presence of blood, but that was a demon’s object; there was no possibility of Mrs. Turner ever acquiring that weapon. Although how Mrs. Turner was able to get a hold of a weapon like that in the first place is beyond me. If not Carnwennan, then, perhaps its twin...?

“Sebastian, what are you doing here?” a voice startled me out of my thoughts. “And with C/N no less. I wasn’t going to be gone long, you know. You do not have to come running every time I leave the apartment.” 

“Well, considering your personality,” I said with a smile, “I do have to come running when you leave the apartment.” F/N rolled her eyes and grabbed my sleeve, dragging me along. 

“Come on, you stupid imp. I’m hungry.” That gave me pause: F/N had never freely admitted a ‘weakness’ to me. I allowed myself a smile; perhaps my little stray was beginning to like me. “What are you smirking at?” 

“Oh, nothing,” I replied. 

“Well stop; it’s beginning to piss me off.” 

**Your Point of View**

It wasn’t long before we were back at the apartment, and Sebastian immediately set to cooking dinner, handing the kitten to you. 

Immediately the he purred loudly, nuzzling you. 

“Someone missed me,” you mumbled, surprised by C/N’s attachment to you. 

“F/N, you must tell me your secrets. How ever did you manage to make him like you so quickly?” 

“Suppose I’m just a likeable person,” you replied sarcastically. 

“To me, you are,” Sebastian said quietly, surprising you. You stared at him as he continued to retrieve ingredients. 

He didn’t think of you as an _ ally _ , did he?

Still, you made no comment on the demon’s behavior and continued to watch him as he began to cook, studying him carefully as he did so.

There were small details to him that you had never noticed before, such as his black nails and the intricate star tattoo on the back of his left hand. Well, knowing him, it probably wasn’t a tattoo. 

Another thing you noticed was the silver chain dangling from his coat, which, after a lot of staring, you determined connected to a pocket watch of the same material. You had thought Sebastian was dressed odd for the times, but perhaps he wasn’t lying about that part about serving a master from over a hundred years ago. Perhaps he hadn’t lied at all like he said. 

“Sebastian, what color are your toenails?” you asked randomly, making Sebastian stop in his tracks, looking back at you with a bewildered face.

“What?”


	12. Cicatrix

“What?” 

“I asked what color your toenails are. Because your fingernails are painted black? I would laugh if they were hot pink.” Sebastian gave you an amused look. 

“Would you like to see for yourself?” 

“Sure; sounds fun.” Sebastian shook his head slightly before bringing a foot up to take off his shoe and then, he very slowly removed his sock. “Screw you and your suspense, Sebastian!” you said with a laugh and he smiled, fully removing his sock and revealing his foot. As you expected, his toenails were black too. 

“I don’t paint them, by the way,” Sebastian said, pulling his sock back on. “Afraid it is a trait of being a demon that I cannot erase even in my human form. If it bothers you, the most I may do is cover my hands.” 

“I think it looks kind of cool though,” you mumbled, and Sebastian almost dropped the bowl he had been carrying. “What?”

“I think that is the nicest thing you’ve said to me,” Sebastian replied with a smile, making you turn away. 

“Don’t get used to it,” you grumbled, resuming to pet C/N. “If I am to be a demon’s toy, then I would prefer it that there is nothing emotional in between.” Sebastian was silent for a while. 

Then, out of the blue, he asked, “Where did you get that scar on your cheek? The same place as the others?” You froze, not wanting to respond; your scars carried pain and burdens, and talking about them brought back excruciating memories.

“Why should you care?” you questioned gruffly, resuming your previous demeanor. 

“It is not fair if I reveal myself to you and you do not tell me anything,” Sebastian replied, almost whining like a child. You opened your mouth and then harshly closed it, biting your tongue as you did so. 

“Life isn’t fair, you twit,” you rebuked, nuzzling against C/N. Like it was any of his damn business. Why had you almost said something? 

Sebastian sighed, saying, “I am all about give and take, F/N. There is very little I do for free. I cannot force you to tell me, but I have my methods.” You didn’t speak for a while, listening to the hissing of the pan as Sebastian cooked. 

“Fine,” you spat after some time. “I got the stupid brand when I was five or something. The rest came with time. Happy?” 

“Brand?” Sebastian inquired. 

“The Mark of the Triple Beast, the mark that branded me forever as a demon.” Sebastian chuckled slightly, serving only to agitate you. “What the  _ hell  _ are you laughing at? Do you want me to come over there and gut you?” 

“My apologies, F/N. The Triple Beast has nothing to do with demons. The three beasts are the wyvern, the faerie, and the syren. Humans know so little of my realm, it is genuinely amusing.” You didn’t say anything, continuing to glare at Sebastian. Right now, your mind was flooding with bad memories, and it was all you could do to channel your fear into rage. C/N had left, leaving your lap cold. “So how is it you acquired the deep one in your back?” You leapt to your feet, holding Destinia against Sebastian’s throat. 

“Enough,” you growled, and Sebastian sighed. “My information is worth far more than yours, and I do not see why you would need to know where I got certain wounds. I may not be able to kill you, but you said yourself that you still feel pain. I will hurt you if I have to.” 

“This is a knife wound,” Sebastian said, heedless of your threat as his hand rested on the exact scar he had inquired about. You flinched as he pressed on it; the flesh had never healed properly, and it still hurt a great deal. “Clearly thrown at you as you tried to run. Right in-between the shoulder blades; someone was clearly skilled. I am surprised you’re still alive, judging by how deep the knife must have hit.”

“ _ Get your hand off me, _ ” you snarled, giving Sebastian a cut in his neck. Sebastian sighed, taking you by the arm and slamming you on the floor, though it merely winded you rather than hurting you like you expected. 

“I really thought you would have learned not to hurt me by now,” Sebastian said, placing a hand over his eyes. Growling, you saw your opening and swept his leg underneath him, surprising him and making him lose his balance. 

However, you had misjudged the distance from you and Sebastian, and you wheezed as he fell on you. 

“Get... off... me...” you croaked. 

“Why? You wanted to be on the bottom.” 

“Because... I can’t... breathe... you... bas...tard...” How could he be so damn heavy? You could feel your vision slipping, and you made one final effort to throw him off, but it was in vain as you blacked out.

**Sebastian’s Point of View**

I frowned, rolling off F/N to see she had passed out. Technically, it was her own fault, but I still felt guilty. I sighed yet again, sitting as I ran a hand through my hair. 

“You are really a handful, you know,” I muttered as I gingerly picked up F/N and set her on the loveseat, taking a few moments to observe her. Her face appeared pained, twitching, especially around the area where her scar was. Her past must have been incredibly painful that she would attack me simply for asking about it. 

Something in my chest clenched as a tear ran down her left eye, and I acted on instinct, kissing her forehead. 

“I am sorry, F/N.”


	13. Suffering

I watched F/N for a few moments more before I resumed making dinner. Thankfully, I had been quick enough to finish actually cooking before F/N had assaulted me. All that remained was to appropriately dress and set out the dishes and then wake up the sleeping cat—er, that is to say, F/N. 

However, when I turned to look at her, her head was buried underneath a cushion, although she was still quite clearly asleep. 

“ _ No more, _ ” I heard her whimper. “ _ Please, no more…”  _

I gently shook her shoulder, and as quickly as lightning, F/N grabbed my hand and refused to let go. Sighing slightly, I sat on the edge of the couch, removing the cushion from her head, and carefully ran the other hand through her somewhat knotted hair. 

**Your Point of View**

_ You were in a small warehouse, one that  _ he  _ had lead you into, promising that if the two of you could make it in and out, stealing what you needed, then the two of you would run together, away from this city and away from this life. _

_ Unease prickled at your spine: something didn’t feel right. You were tempted to call out for your friend, but out of consideration for any possible trouble, you didn’t let a word slip past your lips.  _

_ Cautiously, you padded forward, glancing to and fro when someone leapt out at you. Startled, you were about to throw your newly-acquired knife when you realized that person was  _ that friend. 

“ _ You scared the living daylights out of me, you idiot!” you hissed, though you were relieved he hadn’t been taken prisoner or anything. He said nothing, merely smiling at you. That was odd; he never smiled. “Anyway, where are all of those diamonds?” _

_ “You didn’t really believe my silly story, did you?” he asked, raising his head. It was all in his expression; you knew at that moment he had done something to betray you. “Really, what idiot would keep something so valuable in such an insecure place that even a person like you could get into?”  _

_ “Why have you lead me here?” you growled as he walked closer, though you were recoiling from shock. How could this boy, this boy that you  _ trusted _ do this?  _

_ “Ah, F/N, I’ve struck it rich!” His eyes were filled with greed, seeming almost crazed with their sin. “If I bring you in, then I get to live a life of comfort, my record erased! You’re only in the way of my happiness. I hope you understand.” You stared at him uncomprehendingly as he drew his knife, the one identical to your own.  _

_ Your eyes may not have comprehended, but your body certainly did. Frightened, you turned tail and ran towards the entrance of the warehouse, but a sharp pain in your back made you cry out and stumble as your vision blurred with tears.  _

_ “Why are you doing this? I thought we were friends!” you shouted at the chuckling boy.  _

_ “You stupid girl,” he insulted you, pulling your head up by your hair. “it’s all about kill or be killed in the Underworld; take or be taken from. I am simply  _ taking _ —” the boy stomped on your back, making you harshly cough. Was that blood in your mouth? “—your miserable future from you. Truthfully, it’s a win-win.” He continued to cruelly stomp on you, and you could feel the hot blood pouring from you as he forced the wound in your back to ooze.  _

_ “No more,” you whimpered, almost begging. Now you were certain your mouth was filling with blood, though whether it was because you had bitten your tongue or because a lung had been punctured, you had no idea. “Please, no more...” You could feel your vision flickering; how much blood had you lost?  _

_ The boy’s hideous laugh followed your dreams as you slipped out of consciousness.  _

You woke up slowly, feeling a throbbing pain between your shoulders that made you wince. Even six years after that bastard had literally stabbed you in the back, the pain always followed you out of the dreamworld. 

Silently, you wished ill fortune upon him for what seemed like the hundredth time. After that day, he’d disappeared in the time you spent recovering. Even so, you hoped one day to plunge your own dagger straight through his spine in retribution. 

Now that you had fully awakened, you became aware of a wonderful massaging sensation at the back of your skull. You allowed yourself to indulge in it, savoring how it took your mind off the pain in your back. 

It was only after realizing something soft and warm was tightly clenched in your hand that your realized you should probably be questioning how exactly that sensation had come about. 

You glanced out the corner of your eye to discover, to your surprise, that Sebastian was the source of this pleasing touch. While you were tempted to let him believe you were still asleep, you grabbed the hand that had been nursing your scalp. 

“I’m awake, Sebastian.” 

“I know,” he replied, retrieving both his hands from you. You winced again as the pain was brought to the forefront. “F/N, do you require medicine?”

“I’m fine,” you replied shortly, sitting up.

“In my experience, a woman that says she is ‘fine’ is lying.” You glared at him. 

“Leave it, Sebastian. I don’t want to talk about it.” 

“Please tell me when you  _ do  _ want to talk about it then,” Sebastian replied, revealing dinner to you. “Because you merely make me more curious when you refuse to inform me of such things.” 

“Curiosity killed the ca—”

“But satisfaction brought it back. Yes I know the saying, F/N, as much as I despise the first part.”

“I didn’t even know about the second part...”


	14. Relief

“Sebastian, I never asked this, but do you have a job?” you questioned after you had finished your dinner, not failing to lick your plate clean again. Though he could be incredibly irritating, he really was a good cook.

“Why would someone such as me need one?” he returned, sitting on the couch across from you. “I told you I have no need of human currency already.”

“Right…” you mumbled. When you were on the streets, you could never have dreamed of owning a job for several reasons, one being that your face was too infamously known. Your name had even reached the surface world, which, in a way, was frightening. 

You softly hissed, your hand flying to your back; it felt as if the scar had reopened itself. Though you had been distracted enough while filling your stomach, it was hard to distract yourself from it. From experience, you knew the pain would fade within the day, but for how long it would persist, you had no idea. 

When you glanced up, Sebastian was no longer across from you, and you sat confused for a few seconds when your shirt was pulled up at the back. You were about to turn around, but a sharp, cold sensation stopped you, and you growled. 

“What are you doing?” you snarled, recovering only slightly. 

“Icing your wound,” Sebastian replied. “The skin on your back is hot and feverish as if your scar is inflamed.” 

“I don’t think something that burns like that is going to help!” you snapped, trying to grab at his hand. You let out an involuntary squeak as Sebastian placed his cold, somewhat wet hand on the back of your neck. 

“Stay still for five minutes, and then we will see if I am correct. If your pain lessens, then I will continue. If not, then I will cease and find pain killing medicine.” You let out a tired huff, shivering as droplets of ice-cold water dripped down your back. 

You felt uncomfortable with your back bared to him, as you hadn’t shown your worst scars to anyone—they disfigured you and marked you as one who was taken from, painting you into a target. 

In time, the patch of flesh between your shoulder blades felt numb, which apparently marked five minutes. “Now, are you starting to feel better?” Sebastian inquired, and you grudgingly nodded. Feeling numb was better than feeling pain. “It does make me wonder just how you obtained this wound…” 

“Forget it, Sebastian,” you grumbled as he replaced the ice on your back, though somehow the sting of the cold was still sharp.

“You know I will keep asking, F/N. There is clearly emotional pain tied to this wound.” 

“Shut up,” you growled lowly. “It’s none of anyone’s business but mine.” Sebastian sighed, and you shifted as you felt a cloth press your lower back. 

“One of these days, I  _ will _ learn what you are hiding from me,” he murmured by your ear, though you didn’t flinch this time. “One way…” Sebastian removed the ice and moved the cloth up to your shoulders before pulling your shirt back down. “ _ Or another.”  _

“I’ve been through tortures worse than death, Sebastian. I doubt that whatever you have in mind will be enough to make me talk.” 

“Who said anything about torture?” Sebastian inquired, circling back to stand in front of you. His lips were curled in a devious smirk that made you a bit wary. 

“That would be the only possible way,” you mumbled, now unsure, and he chuckled. 

“I shall see about that~” You snorted, allowing your gaze to wander away from Sebastian’s face. Already, there was black and white cat hair on his clothing from C/N. A flat, perfect square bulging out of his tailcoat caught your attention however; how didn’t you notice it before? 

A few slender fingers delicately grasped your chin, making you look up at Sebastian. “Hello, F/N? I asked if you need anything for bed.”

“One, I do not have a bedtime, and two, what’s that thing in your tailcoat?” 

“Thing?” Sebastian inquired, one eyebrow raised. 

“I’ll call it a square then,” you grumbled, rolling your eyes. 

“Ah, this?” Sebastian foraged around in his tailcoat, bringing out the square for you to see. It was what appeared to be a piece of black glass with realistic tongues of flame shooting through it. “Think of it as a bus ticket.”

You stared at it for a few moments before saying, “How could a piece of glass be like a bus ticket?” Sebastian chuckled before almost condescendingly patting your head. 

“A human wouldn’t understand,” he replied, this time definitely patronizingly, making you glare at him. “In any case, I would like you to start practicing proper hygiene, and that means brushing your teeth every night after dinner and taking either a bath or a shower every day—” 

“Why? I’m clean enough,” you groused, thinking about swimming in the Hudson river. You understood it was important to keep clean—this you had learned after a rather nasty infection—but every day, really? 

“I can’t hide you away every day because you smell like the gutter.” 

“You have a problem with me smelling like that? It keeps people away.” Sebastian squeezed your cheek. 

“Now, F/N, you are a lady, and you should care about yourself to a certain extent. So take a bath  _ with soap _ and  _ gently  _ brush your teeth. I promise that you will be in a better mood.” You slapped his hand away, standing. 

“Fine!” you snapped abruptly. “Just… show me how to use it…”


	15. Cleansing

“Use what?” Sebastian asked, tilting his head. 

“That metal thing! The thing that’s supposed to spout water.” 

“Ah, you must mean the faucet,” Sebastian said with a smile, beginning to walk. “Follow me, F/N.” And so, you unenthusiastically followed Sebastian. Why did he have to be almost constantly laughing at you? 

He proceeded to show you a how to work the contraption, making you run your finger under the faucet to make you see that merely maneuvering a small lever was all that was required to turn it on and change the temperature of the water. 

He soon let you tinker with the temperature, and finally finding a temperature you found pleasing, let it run after Sebastian had put a plug in the drain. “Now, while the bath fills, do you know how to brush your teeth?” 

“Yes,” you grumbled, doing a quick motion that demonstrated what you thought he meant by ‘brushing’ your teeth. Sebastian sighed. 

“I have a lot to teach you,” he mumbled, taking one of those tiny rods with bristles attached to them. Sebastian then proceeded to explain how you were supposed gently rub your teeth with the ‘toothbrush’, on which was a minty substance called ‘toothpaste’. He also explained how to clean between your teeth with a strip of strange thread called ‘tooth floss’.

Thankfully, you were a quick learner. 

Once Sebastian had ascertained that you knew enough for the night, he left you in the bathroom. 

The bathroom smelled sweet, almost like the few wildflowers you’d come across. Hesitantly testing the water, as it was steaming, you decided it was probably safe and undressed, having a little trouble with the buttons, but you thankfully knew how  _ they  _ worked at least. 

When you sank into the bath, a small moan slipped from your lips; the water felt heavenly to your skin. Except on a few exceptionally hot summer days, you had never had the pleasure of a hot bath, especially not while the season was changing to winter. 

You ducked your head underwater, and that same heat flushed your neck and your face. When you brought it back out of the water, you spied the bottle of soap Sebastian had mentioned. 

He had said most people usually preferred to put the soap in first and let the bubbles make themselves, but you had ignored him. Now, you opened the cap and took a whiff, wondering what it smelled like. 

Sweet. Sweet like chocolate. 

If you hadn’t eaten already, you might’ve tried tasting it. Instead, you put some on your hand and hesitantly rubbed your arm with it. You didn’t feel much different. Were you supposed to feel different?

You shrugged slightly to yourself and continued to put the soap on your body. At least you could say you tried. Hopefully if you said that, Sebastian wouldn’t badger you. 

After a while, you became intoxicated by the sweet smell that had begun to surround you. You could smell it in the bathwater, and you could swear the smell was pouring off your skin. 

You sighed in delight, relaxing for a few minutes before you stood up, realizing you couldn’t stay in the water forever. 

Taking the towel that had been by the side, you quickly dried off and drained the water from your hair. You glanced at the water in the tub, somewhat startled by how dirty it was. Had you really been that filthy?

Even so, you redressed after you had begun to drain the tub. You took a look in the mirror and peered at your reflection for the first time since coming here. As always, your eyes looked haunted. You drew a finger upon the triangle on your cheek, sighing. 

“As much comfort as I may find here,” you murmured, leaning your head against the wall. “My past can never be erased…” You stood there a few minutes before you decided to get brushing your teeth over with. 

Sebastian had warned that you might find the taste of toothpaste repulsive, and he explained it was to prevent young children from eating it, but you didn’t really care either way about it. You’d had far worse things in your mouth—straight-up poison, for one.

When you finally stepped out of the bathroom, Sebastian was no longer in the apartment. Where had he gone?


	16. Information

**Sebastian’s Point of View**

I chuckled as F/N moaned in the bathroom. The logical part of me said she was merely enjoying a comfort she had never experienced. The illogical part of me… well, there I say something completely different. 

Giving a final glance back at the bathroom door, I withdrew my ‘bus ticket’ from my tailcoat. I smiled at it before I viciously threw it on the floor, the glass silently shattering into a thousand shards. From those shards, darkness and fire circled the floor, creating a hole in the very seams of reality. 

“Now then…” I muttered, descending into the tear in the human world. As usual, it did take some time for me to enter my realm, but the time meant little here; minutes here were only a few seconds on Earth. 

“Back so soon, dear cousin?” someone in the darkness asked. 

“Yes, though I’ll not be back for long. I came to see you, actually.” 

“Take off that dreadful human disguise then, and we’ll talk for a bit.” I sighed, allowing my human form to completely slip away, and the voice laughed. “I don’t get what humans find so fascinating about your human form anyway; I’ve always thought demons should stay demons.”

“Spare me,” I said, taking a seat at the table he’d provided. “I’d like to know about the Lunar Knives.” My cousin sighed. 

“Right to the point as always. Are you looking for something specific?” 

“No; I want anything you know.” 

“Well, long, long ago, the Lunar Knives were created, these being Carnwennan the New and Destinia the Full. The first, being made here with blood hammered into its blade, was malicious and venomous. The second, and the less known of the two, supposedly created in heaven by an angel that was on the verge of falling, was kinder and simply cut while reinforcing its user. According to legend, when the two are wielded together, they are a force to be reckoned with. That’s about all I know about them.” I nodded. 

“Your information is useful nonetheless.” 

“Really?” 

“There’s something else I’d like to ask about,” I continued, refusing to become sidetracked. “The black Eternity Pendant—the name is all I know. Tell me of it.” 

“You don’t waste time,” the demon muttered. “Well, there were rumored to be 10 Eternity Pendants, each bearing their own curse in exchange for granting the wearer immortality. The red, for example, caused frequent burning of the internal organs. The blue, filling them with mucus, blood, water, etcetera. The green, periodic sickness. The coral, intense se—”

“And the black?” I interrupted his rambling, growing impatient. 

“From what I remember, the black was different from all the rest.” 

“How?” I questioned, beginning to sound terse. 

“Hey, keep your claws in. I believe the black caused the wearer to slowly become a demon, though I guess it only does so after eating away at everything that makes the wearer human.” I paused, hoping my suspicion was incorrect. “Why do you want to know all this, anyway? They’re only legends.” 

“They exist for a reason,” I mumbled, standing as I thought to myself. “Do you have any realm shards on you?” 

“Why should I give any to you? You’ll just disappear again.” 

“I really don’t have the patience for this, cousin,” I growled. “It’s boring here.” My cousin sighs. 

“THAT, I will give you. Why do you think I want you to stay here?” I simply held out my clawed hand. 

“In a timely manner, please?”

“Don’t want to; you’re gonna have to fight me for one.” 

**Your Point of View**

You had gone to sleep, assuming Sebastian would be back by morning, but you woke up in the middle of the night—partially because C/N was licking your nose but mostly because something startled you. 

That something would be the form lying sprawled on the floor of the living area.

Bleeding all over the floor. 

Unconscious.

You made your way over to that form, surprised by Sebastian’s state. Even you hadn’t manage to hurt him that badly. 

“You alright there?” you asked somewhat frivolously. Sebastian didn’t respond. You poked his cheek a couple times. “Hey, I know you don’t sleep, so what gives?” You felt your foot slip, and you shot out a hand to keep your balance, finding that it landed in something wet. You glanced at it to see that hand covered in blood. “What, are you in so much pain that you’re speechless?” 

Still no response. 

At this point, you had become uncertain; you didn’t know demon capabilities very well and questioned if he was actually alive. Had you just talking to a corpse?

“Hey, Sebastian, you wanna know something?” you asked, flicking his shoulder continuously. “You’re much better company when you’re dead. It’s nice not having you badger me.” 

All of a sudden, he harshly coughed up what appeared to be congealed blood. 

“Too bad; I’m still alive,” Sebastian wheezed, rolling onto his back. “You’re not going to escape me that easily, F/N.” 

“Tch,” you fakely tsked. “So where were you, Mr. Invincible?” Sebastian roughly laughed. 

“Home, catching up with a relative.”

“I’d like to see your unscathed relative.” 

“He looks a lot worse than me; you can trust me on that.” 

“You look pretty bad.”

“Do I? I hadn’t noticed.” Sebastian coughed some more. 

“Are you actually in pain, or are you just being stupid?” 

“Oh, I’m in agony,” Sebastian replied, closing his eyes. “You smell nice...” he mumbled, his hand grabbing the one that had been flicking his shoulder only moments ago. You paused as he brought your hand close to his face, and you saw his nostrils flare slightly. What shocked you more was when he softly kissed your knuckles. “Goodnight, Lady F/N...” 


	17. Concern

**Sebastian’s Point of View**

I watched through half-lidded eyes as F/N returned to her bed, having rolled her eyes at my delirious gesture. I watched her for some time as C/N fearlessly walked onto my chest and curled up there. He must’ve liked the warm blood. 

I winced as I attempted to move more than a few centimeters. I would probably heal by the morning, but I’d probably be in agony until the point where I was healed. I let a small smirk pass my lips as I considered my cousin; I had made sure he would feel double what I would. 

I grunted in pain, clasping a hand over my stomach. I’d forgotten about the spiked ball that had gotten lodged there, but now that I was healing, I could keenly feel each barb inside the healing tissue. 

“C/N, you’re going to have to get off for this next part,” I said, gently shoving the cat off my chest. He meowed in displeasure at me, licking his bloody paws, making me smile. That cat... 

With effort, I shoved my hand inside my abdomen and ripped out the spiked ball, panting as it rolled across the floor. “I want to sleep...” I murmured, closing my eyes. 

  
  


**Your Point of View**

When you woke up, your first thoughts were of Sebastian, which was odd—you’d never been concerned about someone before yourself before. 

You got out of bed, shaking your head. This wasn’t like you. 

“So how you holding up, Mr. Immortal?” you questioned, stepping into the living area again, but Sebastian was still lying on the floor. You walked up to him, about to kick him in the side, but you stopped your foot short. 

You could hear him breathing.

For anyone else, this would be normal, but through all the time you’d known him, which was admittedly short, you had never heard him breathe so loudly that you could plainly hear him. “Sebastian?” 

He had said he didn’t sleep—wait, no. He said sleep was a luxury to him and that he hadn’t slept in a hundred years. Were his wounds so bad that he wanted to sleep? “Isn’t it uncomfortable sleeping on the floor?” you asked. 

Of course, there was no response. 

You grabbed a pillow off the couch and shoved it under his head. You glanced at his blood-splattered tailcoat. How long did it take him to heal anyway? “Don’t you dare wake up,” you muttered as you began to undo his tie. 

With minimal struggle, you unbuttoned his tailcoat, his waistcoat, and finally his dress shirt. It was somewhat difficult to pull the shirt away from his chest, as it had become sticky with blood, but you managed. 

You brushed your hand over the bloodiest area, but to your surprise, there was no give in his chest. You rubbed some of the coagulated blood away to see that the skin underneath was perfect just like the rest of him. “Lucky bastard,” you muttered under your breath. “You get into a bloody scuffle, and you don’t have a scar to show for it.”

You were just about to start re-buttoning his shirt when someone burst through the door. 

“Hey, I just came by to check on y—” Alicia stopped short upon seeing you. Then her face flushed bright red. “E-Eh, I-I’m going to pretend I didn’t see you two l-like this, a-and I’m going to pretend I don’t know about your s-strange ketchup fetish...” With her face still red, Alicia ran back out the door, and you sighed. 

“You’re a bag of trouble, Michaelis,” you muttered as you resumed buttoning his clothing back up. Almost as if he was awake, you could hear him say,  _ Well you’re the one who wanted to personally investigate.  _

As you were standing, Sebastian grabbed your hand and made you fall back onto the floor. He was still heavily breathing, so he was either faking it, or that was some sort of sleep-spasm. 

The fact that his grip was tightening to the point where it was beginning to hurt supported the latter theory. Sebastian hadn’t done anything to intentionally hurt you since he met you. You attempted to pry his fingers off, but his grip was strong as steel. 

You sighed, leaning your head against the couch. 

“Wake up soon, Sebastian. I’m starving,” you muttered, glancing at the door. “And C/N is too,” you added with a slight smile, seeing the kitten trying to eat his shoe. You sighed, staring at the ceiling, shaking your head at yourself. 

You were becoming dependent on Sebastian. You shouldn’t be. You shouldn’t have to depend on anyone, especially not a man that could kill you if he really wanted to. But he didn’t want to kill you, though he  _ was _ only keeping you around because he was bored. Or... was that really the case? 

And though you had said you could leave anytime you liked, you didn’t want to leave this new world of comfort and warmth. You had never been more relaxed in your life, and you were beginning to realize you would probably become soft and fat if you stayed. The prospect was equally attractive and revolting. 

While on the streets, you had usually been extremely lean, to the point where your ribs easily showed. You would show no weakness to anyone, nor would you dare trust another soul. It was a lonely, bitter struggle to survive. But that’s what life had been for you until now. 

You wanted to remain strong to protect yourself, but that was hard to do forever. Sometimes you wanted to cry. Sometimes you wanted to scream. Instead, you hide yourself behind a mask of neither sorrow nor anger. But that mask slips when you’re with Sebastian. 

“Curse you, stupid demon,” you muttered, finding yourself squeeze his hand back. “Wake the hell up so I stop thinking about these stupid things.” 


	18. Unknown

As if on cue, Sebastian’s grip slackened, although you hadn’t been expecting him to roll to the side. 

“What stupid things?” he asked without opening his eyes. You scowled. 

“How long have you been awake, you ass?” 

“Is there something I should be concerned about that you did while I was unconscious?” he inquired, opening one eye. He raised an eyebrow as you felt your face heat up slightly. “Were you doing something indecent with my body?” 

“Of course not!” you spat. “Why in Satan’s name would I want to do anything having to do with your body?!” Sebastian’s deep chuckle rang in your ears. 

“Your denial is a bit too strong, F/N. Besides, you skipped two of my buttons. Did you think I wouldn’t notice? I don’t mind if you wanted to feel me up, but please don’t lie to me.” 

“F-Feel you up!?” you almost shouted in embarassed outrage. Why did the room seem hotter all of a sudden? “I was checking your wounds, you bastard!” 

“Is that so?” Sebastian inquired as he sat up, casually undoing his tailcoat and waistcoat. Apparently, the two buttons you had missed were both on his dress shirt. He was about to redo them when he glanced back at you. “Sure you don’t want to see?” 

“Oh shut up!” you growled, throwing yourself on a sofa. Sebastian chuckled, standing up. 

“I’m only teasing, F/N,” Sebastian replied, stooping down to pick up something. “That twit,” he muttered, and you noticed in his hand was a blood-stained spiky ball. 

“Where’d that come from?” you grumbled. 

“My idiot cousin,” he spoke under his breath, walking over to the kitchen area and setting it inside a cabinet. When he turned back to you, he smiled. “Now, would you like some waffles?” You shrugged, not knowing what waffles were. 

C/N unhappily meowed, pawing at Sebastian’s trousers, and he lightly picked the cat up. “Yes, I promise to feed you as well,” he said with a smile, gently touching the kitten’s nose. 

It wasn’t long before Sebastian was showing off his cooking prowess again, and though you were sulking, you couldn’t help watching him. 

However, a foreign noise interrupted your meandering thoughts, directing your gaze over to Beatrice’s room. Sebastian had also paused, glancing over in the direction of the noise. It was a song, one you had heard often from people’s phones, among other places. 

Abruptly, the song stopped to be replaced by a man’s voice, clearly audible in the silence of the apartment. 

_ “Hey, it’s Jared, Bea. I thought some things over, and I realized I was wrong. Meet me at the Black Lotus Cafe if you wanna talk things over. Thanks.”  _

You felt a faint twinge in the back of your mind; that voice sounded familiar, like something you’d only heard once but remained in your head because of a bad memory. 

Though it pained you to do so, you delved into your past, searching for where you had heard the voice. 

And that’s when you remembered: Jared Filchner. Roughly two years ago, he’d bought you dinner and invited you to stay at his house. While you had been hesitant, it was winter, and you were weak and over-trusting. That mistake cost you your virginity.

While you had killed your second rapist, you had simply wanted to get away from Jared at all costs. 

A low growl rippled through your throat, catching Sebastian’s attention and filling his eyes with curious alarm. You stood, about run out of the apartment when Sebastian was by your side, his fingers around your wrist. 

“Wait,” Sebastian said softly. “I do not know what Jared has done to upset you, but you must not be hasty. At least eat breakfast first.” You glared at Sebastian. 

“ _If you make me lose him, you_ ** _will_** _find him for me,_ ” you spoke lowly, sitting again as Sebastian sighed, returning back to the kitchen. 

“Very well,” he replied, walking back over to you with two golden brown, circular pastries(?) inlaid with many squares. They smelled delicious.

You didn’t even glance at the bottle of syrup or the butter Sebastian had placed in front of you and instead dug in. 

You ate quickly, and you didn’t savor the taste as much, your mind still full of wrath. You ached to kill him badly, your anger spilling over into your hands, which had painfully clenched, almost to the point of drawing blood.

You barely took a moment to say ‘goodbye’ to Sebastian before you darted out the door. You knew where that cafe was; it was an Asian tea shop that really stood out from its surrounding dreary shops with its sleek black displays. The previous owner had also offered you shelter from snow when you were young; the new one hated you.

“You’re slow,” Sebastian said from behind you as you ran, and without warning, you were being carried, as if you had returned to the day where your wrists had been bound and you first set foot in the apartment. 

At first, you had been about to demand that he put you down, but you realized that, compared to him, your pace  _ was  _ slow. In no time, Sebastian was standing a few yards away from the cafe. 

He would not allow you out of his arms however. 

“Patience, F/N,” Sebastian spoke softly. “He made the call only a few minutes ago. Unless he called from inside the shop, he is on the way here. In the meantime, please tell me why you are so full of anger.” 

“What would be the point?” you spoke through gritted teeth. Sebastian’s face was serious. 

“Why do you refuse to trust me, F/N? I want to know why you are covered in scars, why you always seem to be in pain. If I understood, then I could make you happier.” For a few seconds, you simply stared at Sebastian before closing your eyes. 

“Fine,” you muttered bitterly. “I met Jared during a winter night. He bought me food. Gave me shelter. Even invited me to sleep in a warm bed.” You snorted. “I was stupid. I should have known not to trust a stranger. That warm bed came at the price of my maidenhood. I tried to refuse. He said I owed it to him. I said I’d seen what had come of people who paid with their bodies. He said he didn’t care. I tried to run, but...” You squeezed your eyes shut tight, trying to forget what that man had done to you. 

“Before you kill him, can I have a turn?” Sebastian inquired, and when you opened your eyes, his teeth were bared, his eyes aglow with red light. “I’d like to hear his screams.” 

“Only if you let me watch every second,” you replied grimly, making Sebastian utter a deep, evil laugh. 

“Your prey has arrived.” 


	19. Torture

As Sebastian had said, Jared walked into the Black Lotus Café, his bright red hair making it even clearer that this was him. Sebastian put you down, but he didn’t allow you to go just yet. 

“Don’t kill anyone in public,” he warned, and you gave him a conniving smirk. 

“Oh, I plan to lure him out. And I plan to make him feel deceit.” 

Cool as ice, you opened the door to the tea shop, breathing in the familiar scent. It had been a while, but you could never have forgotten this place. Jared was sitting at one of the ebony tables, busy talking to the owner. 

You sat down across from your adversary, unnoticed until he stopped talking. When he had, he turned to see you and flinched as if he’d seen a ghost. 

“It’s... you.” he whispered. 

“Hello Jared,” you said alluringly, a smile curling your lips. “It’s been a long time, hasn’t it?” The man gulped, though there was a faint blush on his cheeks. 

“I-I’m really sorry about what I did that time; I was dealing with some pretty rough stuff then. But you look really hot now...” You gave him a small chuckle. 

“Oh, forgiven and forgotten, little prince,” you replied. “What I can’t forgive you for is leaving me all by myself for two years.” You leaned over the table slightly, and you could see Jared was staring at your chest. Sickening. 

Jared nervously swallowed.

“W-Well, the thing is, I’m waiting for someone here...” 

“Don’t you think we should catch up? I have so much to tell you.” 

“What if she shows up?”

“Oh, I’m sure whoever it is won’t mind~” you sung, getting out of your seat and taking Jared by the arm. It didn’t take much more effort to get him to follow you out the door and into the alley Sebastian was waiting in. 

“Now, what did you want to do first?” Jared asked, and you grinned manically. 

“ _ This _ ,” you replied, shoving him to the ground and stepping on his crotch. 

“Ah, you just gave me a wonderful plethora of torture ideas,” Sebastian said from the shadows. 

“T-Torture? Who are you? Why are you doing this?!” Jared asked through his pain. “HELP! SOM—mmph!” 

“Well, Jared,” Sebastian said calmly. “You raped my friend, and, well, let’s just say that doesn’t sit right with me.” Jared’s eyes bugged out of his head as Sebastian stuck three sewing needles in his neck. “My name is Sebastian, and I will be your torturer today. The Black Panther will be your executioner.” 

“Mph mph MPH!!” Jared screamed as each of Sebastian’s fingertips popped alight. 

“How about we start with some light searing?” he inquired, bringing a finger down the man’s shirt, instantly burning away the fiber. Sebastian slowly ran his fingers along Jared’s naked chest, and you smirked at the look of pure pain on his face. 

“Did you honestly think that I would forgive you?” you inquired, kneeling to Jared’s position as Sebastian continued to burn him in various places. The redhead simply stared up at you with wide eyes as he screamed into his gag. “I was humiliated, hurt, scarred for the rest of my life. You expect me to forgive you?” 

“MPH MPH MPH!” Jared screeched, tears forming in his eyes, and you darkly chuckled as you saw what Sebastian was doing. You would cut out his manhood if Sebastian didn’t burn it off first. 

“For what you took from me, you will suffer as I did and more, so that if by some chance you don’t end up in Hell, you’ll have at least that to remember me. That I was the one who ended your miserable life. Oh, and by the way...” you leaned close to his ear. “Beatrice is dead.” 

“Nice touch,” Sebastian complimented as Jared passed out from pain. “I think I’ll collapse his lung next and watch him struggle for breath as it fills with blood. Would you like to splinter a rib?” You evilly chuckled. 

“Oh, that and much more,” you replied, kicking Jared in the face, making sure to bust his nose as you did it. “You’re not allowed to fall asleep,” you whispered, yanking his hair. By now, he was weeping like a child as Sebastian destroyed one of his lungs. This would be fun. 

<><><>

By the time you were done with him, the ground was splattered with blood, and Jared was only barely alive, wheezing breath through the corner of his mouth. Sebastian was busy getting the majority of blood off his hands in a puddle while you stared at Jared’s state. 

It made you so happy to see him like this. 

Maybe that made you insane. 

But who cares?

“Time to go to Hell, you bastard,” you growled, plunging Destinia straight through his heart. And just like that, Jared Filchner was no more. 

A pair of arms shortly enfolded you, making you stiffen. 

“Relax, it’s only me,” Sebastian whispered by your ear. “Did you like watching him suffer?” Slowly, you relaxed. 

“Yes; very much so. He deserved every bit of that.” Sebastian chuckled. 

“I liked the part where you emasculated him piece by piece. I thought he was going to bite his tongue off from the pain.” 

“So did I,” you agreed, staring at Destinia’s blade. You ran a finger in the blood and licked it. “His blood is sweet,” you said with a smirk at the metallic taste, though there  _ was _ just a hint of something sweet intermixed. Sebastian chuckled as he picked you up. 

“I had better get you home before you eat his corpse, little demon.”


	20. Depraved

Sebastian carried you back to the apartment as you continued to lick the blood off Destinia. There was something so utterly satisfying about tasting the blood of your enemy. You didn’t really pay attention to Sebastian’s moderately alarmed stare, simply watching the scenery as it flashed past you. 

Before you were aware of it, you were sitting on the sofa again, C/N meowing up a storm as if telling you off for leaving without him. You smiled, petting the kitten. 

“I will be in the shower if you need me, F/N,” Sebastian said before teasingly adding, “Or if you want to spy on me, that’s fine too.” You threw a pillow at him, though he caught it laughing. 

“It’s so easy…” he called to you before turning his back and going into the bathroom. 

You had just continued petting C/N when you heard Sebastian again. “ _ Why are you in here?”  _ you heard him ask tersely, all humor gone. At first, you assumed he had been talking to himself. 

Then: “ _ I wanted to see you, Sebby~”  _

_ “And I do not want to see you.”  _

_ “Come on; don’t be so stubborn. Beatrice is gone, leaving just me and you.”  _

_ “And my Kitty.” _

_ “Yes, I saw him, you little rule-breaker.”  _

_ “I meant the one sitting on the sofa, listening to you trying to seduce me. It’s not going to work, Miss Mavros. I couldn’t care less about anything you could offer me. Now please put your pants back on and return to where you belong.”  _ You heard a slam. “ _ Please do not make me kill you, Miss Mavros. I already need to clean up myself and the man I just tortured, let alone your corpse from the bathroom floor.”  _ You heard a demented giggle coming from the woman’s throat. __

“ _ You know, you’re even sexier when you’re mad. Don’t tell me you actually like that broken kid you picked up?”  _

“ _ Sometimes one must have a tainted eye to see something truly beautiful,”  _ Sebastian replied cryptically. _ “The Black Panther is not a child, though she has been broken over and over again. She fascinates me, unlike you. You are depraved. Soiled. Repulsive.”  _

_ “And you aren’t?”  _

_ “I never said I wasn’t. In fact, I am far, far worse. So get off me and stop trying to play like the wanton whore you are.” _

“If you don’t get off of him,” you interjected, “I  _ will  _ kill you if he doesn’t.”  __

“ _ Tch. Nuisance, _ ” you heard Mavros mutter. A few moments after that, Mavros walked out of the bathroom as if she was supposed to be there, giving you a glare before she walked out. 

You heard Sebastian sigh. 

“She reminds me of someone else I knew,” he muttered, closing the door again. “ _ Thank you, F/N, _ ” he added. “ _ I had a feeling she was about to take off my pants next.”  _

“Why  _ haven’t _ you killed her?” you muttered as he turned the water on.  __ Sebastian didn’t answer; presumably, he couldn’t hear you. 

Instead, you tuned into someone shouting. 

_ “VIVIAN, HOW MANY TIMES HAVE I TOLD YOU?!”  _

_ “You don’t understand…” _

_ “I don’t understand?! Do you have any idea how infatuated I am with that man?! And I don’t even know his NAME!”  _

_ “Listen to me; you would do what I did if—” _

_ “No I wouldn’t! If he says ‘no’, then he means, ‘NO’. What do you not understand, Vi?” _

_ “You just want him for yourself!”  _

_ “Be that as it may, I would never do what you just did. You’re only making him hate you. I come back here to check on you, and this is what happens? First, you kil—” _

_ “Quiet!”  _ By now, you were more than curious. Slowly, you crept out the door and silently made your way towards the voices.  __ One of the voices was blatantly Mavros, but the other was one you could swear you had heard before, one you had missed, which struck you as odd. Why would you miss someone’s voice? 

Carefully, you crept around the corner to see Mavros with her back to you. You couldn’t seem to get a good look at the other one. 

_ “ _ Vi, just what happened to you?” the other asked softly. “We used to be so close…” 

“Well those times are over,” Miss Mavros growled, sweeping past the other woman, finally revealing her to you. 

This woman was also tall, but her hair was completely silver, though her face was still young. She wore a black dress with dark blue accents that brought out the beautiful blue-gray of her eyes. 

“ Seyr?” 


	21. Familiarity

The woman caught sight of you, her eyes widening. 

“F/N? Is that you?” You continued to stare at the familiar woman. 

“But… you’re dead—I saw you die that day! How are you here, Seyr?” Seyr nervously rubbed her head. 

“Oh, ehm, I guess I have a lot of explaining to do. Surprise??” You lightly punched her in the stomach before you hugged her. 

“Yes you do.”

“Easy,” Seyr wheezed. “I’m not as young as I used to be.” 

“Weren’t you in your 20s?” you asked, an eyebrow raised as you leaned away. 

“28, and it’s been 7 years since then. I’m halfway to my 40s.” 

“ _ F/N!”  _ you heard Sebastian call, making Seyr blush slightly. 

“I recognize that voice...” she muttered, looking in the direction his voice had come from. 

“There you are,” he said as he peered around the corner. “Come back here before you go on another killing spree.” Seyr sighed at you. 

“You’ve gotten worse, I hear,” she muttered. Sebastian heard her, his attention captured. 

“Ah, hello there; I apologize for saying such misleading things before you. Would you care to stop by for a cup of tea?” Instantly, Seyr’s face turned scarlet, and you were surprised by how high her voice became. 

“Y-Yes, I would li-like that very m-much.” Sebastian smiled with closed eyes before beckoning you both after him. 

Seyr stiffly walked beside you, and you elbowed her, and she relaxed a little bit, seemingly eased by your presence. 

It wasn’t long before you were sitting with Seyr as Sebastian brewed tea. 

“Do you have any preference as to tea, miss... ah, pardon me, I forgot to ask your name.” 

“E-E-Eh, my name is Seren Mavros. I l-like a lot of teas, so I-I don’t mind what you pick...” 

“Mavros?” Sebastian inquired, glancing back at Seyr. “Are you a relation of the landlady’s?” Seyr paused, then sighed. 

“Unfortunately, yes. She told me what happened... I wasn’t very happy with her. Even though she is the older sibling, I feel like I am most of the time.” 

“I hope you will pardon me saying so, but I detest your sister,” Sebastian spoke bluntly as he handed Seyr a cup of tea. Seyr stared at the coffee table. 

“I cannot blame you, Mr. Black. I’ve heard she has done dozens of immoral things in the time I was in England, especially to you. I try to love her no matter what she does, but...” 

“Mr. Black?” Sebastian inquired as he sat across from the two of you, sipping his own cup of tea. Seyr hid her pink face from him. 

“E-Eh, sorry, that was the name I’ve been referring to you since you moved here two years ago before I left...” You patted her back a little.

“He can be an ass at times, Seyr. Don’t mind him,” you muttered. 

“My name is Sebastian Michaelis, Ms. Mavros. Mr. Michaelis or Sebastian is fine.” 

“You’re free to call me Seren, Sebastian. I am not married either—and I never have been. Men don’t like me, unlike my sister.” 

“So, Seren,” Sebastian began, setting down his cup. “How do you know dear F/N?” Seyr smiled at you, her eyes sparkling with mischief. 

“Well, a little nine-year old confronted me and demanded I give her my wallet. I asked her why and she told me because. I told her what a nice knife she had, and she said she would use it to slit my throat if I didn’t give her all my money. Her limbs were like twigs, her ribs poking out of her chest, and I laughed a little then. 

“I said, ‘I have a granola bar and a pop tart in my bag; wouldn’t you like those better?’. That little nine-year old looked at me with eyes the size of saucers and I fished around in my handbag, giving both to her. Like a little monster, she gobbled both right up.

“Then I said, ‘If you’d like a decent meal, I’d be happy to take you out for something good sometime.’ At first, she stared at me, but I guess she got disarmed by my smile, and I saw her little mouth twitch a little. And then she follows me back to my house and tries to raid my liquor cabinet thinking it’s a pantry!” You embarrassedly punched Seyr in the side as she laughed. Sebastian covered his mouth, quietly shaking with laughter, though whether it was because your face was red as a tomato or because of your blunder, you didn’t know. 

“So,” Sebastian finally spoke, still smirking, his eyes lit with mirth. “how long did F/N stay with you? Just one dinner?” 

“One week,” you deadpanned as Seyr’s amusement disappeared. “One week... and then Seyr died.” 


	22. Affection

**Sebastian’s Point of View**

“Well, I’m not dead,” Seren corrected, sipping her tea somewhat self-consciously as I stared at her. 

“I thought you were,” F/N grumbled. “For seven years! Where were you Seyr?” Seren sighed as she finished her tea, gently wrapping an arm around F/N. It was in that simple movement I deduced that that week must have been one of the best weeks in F/N’s life. Seren struck me as the opposite to her sister, which was, to say the least, agreable. 

“Well, that day when we were attacked by that group of hitmen, I admit a bullet did go straight through me...” Seren then shuffled the collar of her dress to reveal the edge of what looked to be a deep scar. “But after I told you to run, one of my neighbors saw the mess and called 999—er, 911. I was told by doctors that if he had called any later, I  _ would  _ be dead.” Seren turned back to F/N. “I did look for you after I got out of the hospital—I’d even put up posters asking if anyone had seen you, but I received no results, even after a year. I assumed the hitmen had come after you, and  _ you’d  _ died.” 

“Frick,” F/N swore. “I thought it was the  _ cops _ that were looking for me…” Seren stared at F/N for a little bit and then laughed again. 

“So these past seven years, we thought the other was killed by those hitmen? Now that’s what I call miscommunication!” After a few moments, F/N cracked a smirk as well, surprising me. Seren definitely meant a lot to F/N. “Anyway, what’s this I’ve been hearing about you going on killing sprees? You haven’t gotten into trouble again, have you?” Seren appeared considerably worried. 

“I tortured a rapist,” F/N said proudly. 

“F/N,” I tried to interfere, but it was too late. Or so I had thought anyway. 

“You’re torturing people now? F/N, I am really becoming quite concerned about you…” Seren mumbled.  _ How much does Seren know about F/N? _

“He deserved it!” F/N retorted. 

“Ah. He made  _ that  _ mistake, did he?” Seren asked, glancing at me. “Tell me, Sebastian, how much has F/N told you?” 

“Not much besides her name,” I replied unhappily. “She really doesn’t trust me. Mind telling me anything?” A smile twitched at Seren’s mouth before she brought a finger to her lips as if shushing me. 

“Sorry, Sebastian; I keep secrets.” F/N smirked and patted Seren on the back. 

“Unlike you, this one is trustworthy,” she said, sticking her tongue out at me. I couldn’t help smiling. I had been worried because I’d seen the black pendant I’d given her gleaming, but maybe I had been imagining things. It wouldn’t be so bad if F/N became a demon anyway, would it? 

**Your Point of View**

“So Seyr, how long are you going to be around this time?” you asked with a mischievous tone. She smiled widely at you. 

“Well, I’ll be living nearby for a long while. So if you ever need me, I’ll be in my old house a little ways away from here. You are both very welcome to visit me anytime. I rarely ever get visitors, so it’s nice to receive guests from time to time.” 

“Stay for lunch though; please?” Seyr chuckled at your eagerness. 

“Certainly; I have no plans today, unless Sebastian minds?” You glared daggers at Sebastian, silently telling him that if he refused, you would make him change his mind by force. He chuckled. 

“I think F/N would pummel me to the ground if I said no,” Sebastian said with a smile. “Besides her stare that could kill, I can see that you have treated F/N very well, unlike many people. I think that if she trusts you, then I should do the same.” Again, Seyr’s face lit up. 

“I-I’m sorry, but I have a me-medical condition that makes me blush at random,” Seyr stuttered, staring pointedly at the coffee table. 

“Seyr, what is with you?” you hissed as Sebastian chuckled. 

“I wouldn’t call that a medical condition,” Sebastian commented, his grin widening considerably. “What was it you said while you were speaking with your sister? I did hear some of your scolding. Infatuated? Was that the word you used?”

“Don’t bully Seyr,” you grumbled as she buried her face in a cushion. Sebastian merely laughed, standing. 

“Really, I’m flattered, Seren,” he called from the kitchen. “And I am quite glad you have decided not to act on that infatuation, unlike the landlady.” 

“You do the cooking? Where is your wife?” Seyr asked, seemingly mystified. 

“Didn’t I tell you, F/N? People are stunned when they learn I cook.” Sebastian paused as he turned the stove on and threw a few ingredients on the counters. “And yes, Seren, I do the cooking. Though I thought you were aware I was not married.” 

“Dammit…” Seyr cursed, sinking low in the cushions, a hand over her eyes. “Why do you have to be so utterly perfect and yet be… you?”


	23. Mum

“What do you mean?” Sebastian inquired, glancing back at Seyr. 

“Unreachable,” Seyr said with a sigh before blushing. “I didn’t mean to say any of that out loud…” Sebastian seemed oddly interested. 

“Why do you think that, Seren?” Seyr waved him off.

“It’s nothing; just my random outbursts.”

“Obviously, it’s not. Tell me, Seren; I would like to know.” Seyr leaned back in her seat again, sighing. 

“I will only tell you because it involves me and not F/N,” Seyr warned. “Otherwise I wouldn’t say. But to answer you, I’m quite simply not on your level. You have the features of a human, though they are refined to the point where I cannot find fault with them. 

“Your skin is like porcelain, your hair like raven down. Your eyes are unnaturally crimson, and I suspect you do not wear contacts, as impossible as it seems. You dress in a way unfitting of the current age, and yet it somehow seems perfectly normal. Your very aura emanates dignity, and yet something almost wicked lingers underneath. It makes me think that you cannot possibly be human.” 

“You are very perceptive for a human,” Sebastian remarked. 

“Wait, I was right?” 

“I am simply one  _ hell  _ of an ally~” he hummed, giving you a glance. 

“I see…” she mumbled. Sebastian chuckled as he walked over with two plates in hand. “That quickly?!” Seyr asked, flabbergasted. Sebastian grinned. 

“Yes, that quickly. I hope you will be impressed with what I have to offer.” 

“I’m already impressed,” Seyr muttered as she took one of the forks. “Bloody hell,” she whispered after she had tasted it. 

“Are you happy I asked you to stay for lunch now?” you asked mischievously as Seyr covered her mouth. She nodded slightly. 

“Sebastian, I have had dinners concocted by many talented chefs. But unquestionably, you are on another level. Where did you learn to do this?” 

“Cookbooks,” he said simply as he started to wash dishes. “And a 13-year old master that demanded perfection, but that is a very long story that I will not delve into at present.” 

“Sounds like it,” you muttered. “Speaking of long stories, what have you been up to, Seyr?” She looked back at you and smiled. 

“Not much, really. I just moved back to America from England. Before England, I was living here for a little while, making little trips to nearby states like Pennsylvania.” 

“Why move around so much?” you asked, confused. 

“You sing, right Seren?” Sebastian interjected. “I admit it took me a while since I don’t watch much television, but you’re the idol that’s been rising up lately, right?” 

“Yes, that would be me,” Seyr replied with a smile. “Though I’m surprised you were able to identify me as that idol; I deliberately made it difficult to tell one way or the other.” 

“What’s an idol?” you asked, confused. There were very few professions you knew of, most of them being store-related. You only barely restrained yourself from asking what a ‘television’ was. 

“An idol is someone put up on a pedestal that the masses worship almost like a god. I understand this position can be very demanding however; am I correct, Seren?”

“Yes, it can be quite demanding,” Seren said with a sigh. 

“And yet you are not married?” 

“Well, yes. I’m a bit too old for most of my audience if that’s what you’re saying, Sebastian.” 

“I see,” he replied. 

“But what is it you do, exactly?” you asked, still unsure. Seyr glanced back at you. 

“I create music, entertainment. Apparently very agreeable music.” 

“Apparently?”

“Well, I’m not what you would call a normal person… I prefer to sing lullabies, but I get to do so only rarely during my line of work.” 

“Then why don’t you sing one now?” you asked, making Seyr smile. 

“Alright; I will, my dear F/N.” 

The sound that poured from Seyr’s mouth was beautiful, and you found yourself smiling. It was calm and serene, yet there was a note of sadness tinging the sound. But that only served to make the song more heavenly. You soon found yourself drowsy, your head drooping onto Seyr’s shoulder. 

And then you were asleep.

  
  


**Sebastian’s Point of View**

I listened as Seren softly sung a rather pleasing melody. I was about to turn when I heard the quiet breathing of F/N. From the sound of it, she had been lulled straight to sleep. I softly chuckled as I turned around to see F/N using Seren’s lap as a pillow. 

“She is really such a sweet girl,” Seren murmured with a gentle smile, moving a strand of hair out of F/N’s eyes.

“Considering the things she has done and the things she has gone through, I wouldn’t call F/N a girl,” I commented, sitting back on the sofa across from F/N. Seren softly chuckled. 

“I will always think of F/N as my little girl.” F/N’s fingers curled around Seren’s hand. “I love her as I would my daughter. And I do love you, Sebastian. But despite that, if you ever hurt her, I  _ will _ retaliate in a way fitting of the crime. I don’t care if I am weaker or if you could kill me with the flick of your wrist. I will find a way even if it costs me my life.” I chuckled. 

“That is very noble of you, Seren,” I complimented, and for once, her face did not flush. “Though you really needn’t worry of that. To be honest, I have grown extremely fond of F/N, to a point I did not think was possible for my limited emotional capacity. Admittedly, I merely sought entertainment from her, but I think I am showing concern considered impossible for my species.”

“If you really are a demon, Sebastian, then I think you should embrace that concern,” Seren said as she carefully extricated herself from F/N’s grasp and stood. “Tell her when she wakes up how happy I was to see her. And as I said before, you are welcome to my house at any time; F/N knows where it is.”

“Why not stay until she wakes and tell her yourself?” I inquired as F/N hugged a pillow. Seren quietly chuckled.

“Surely you have been with her long enough to realize it takes ages for her to wake up in places of comfort. I would suggest moving her to her bed; sleeping on the sofa isn’t good for her.” With a final smile, Seren opened the door to the apartment and left me with a sleeping F/N. 


	24. Tutor

As Seren had told me, I carefully moved F/N to her bed, letting her keep the pillow she’d stolen off the couch. C/N shortly weaseled out from under the bed and nuzzled my ankle, begging for attention, making me chuckle. 

Picking him up, I said, “I never did get the opportunity to play with you.” C/N tilted his head at me and meowed. I smiled. “I suppose you’re right; what to do with my other cat?”

**Your Point of View**

When you woke up, you were no longer sitting on the couch, nor were you anywhere near Seyr, making you alarmed. What had happened to her? Where was Sebastian? Had he done something to her?” 

You rushed out to the living area, seeing Sebastian now laying in the space where Seyr had been sitting. 

“Where is Seyr?” you snarled as you pounced on him. Sebastian stared at you with an eyebrow raised. 

“She left,” he said simply. 

“Without saying goodbye to me?” you growled. 

“F/N, you’ve been napping for three hours. Did you expect her to stay waiting for that long? And before you say she should have woken you, Seren wanted you to sleep. She wanted me to tell you that she was more than happy to see you and that you are always welcome to visit her.” 

“How do I know you’re not lying?” Sebastian sighed. 

“Do you honestly think I would kill Seren? Did you see me show any signs of aggression? I am far more likely to kill her sister. Now I would appreciate it if you could take your hands off my chest.” 

“Why should I? You haven’t proven anything!” 

“Well, I would really not recommend riling me up like you are. I’d really rather not lose control of myself right now.” 

“You look unfazed by the fact that I could slit your throat right now.” Sebastian put a hand over his eyes. 

“Trust me; you’re draining my willpower quite heavily. Please get off me.” Grumbling, you stepped off Sebastian, standing at the side with your knife. “Thank you,” he mumbled as he sat up. “And you may visit Seren any time; should that not be sufficient enough evidence for you?” You faltered. He probably wouldn’t have said something like that if she was dead. “In any case, I have been thinking about how much you do not know of this world.”

“What do you mean?” you growled, still a bit hostile. 

“F/N, you don’t understand much of what normal children—ahem, teenagers do. Your life should have some sense of normality.” 

“Normal for me is killing people who deserve to die,” you grumbled, folding your arms. “I don’t care about what other kids do.” Sebastian sighed. 

“It isn’t just because you’re irregular; to survive in the real world, you have to have a basic concept of how it works at the very least. That includes math, science and literature. Tell me, F/N, do you know how to read?” You pointedly looked away. 

“I can read some things,” you said defensively. 

“Can you add, subtract, multiply and divide?” 

“Why would I need to learn any of that anyway?” you grumbled, defeated. You didn’t even know what dividing was, and you’d only heard of multiplying. 

“F/N, these are basic concepts that every human learns from an early age. You learned how to run, steal, and kill. If you want to live, you have to be smart about it. So I give you the choice of either entering a public school or being privately tutored by me. I warn you that I am strict and will accept nothing but the best. A public school would have lots of chil—teens that you might not like, as well as several adults that may be better or worse than me. And under no circumstances would you be able to kill a single one of them.” 

“How strict are you?” you asked warily. Sebastian tilted his head. 

“Well, I used to punish students with a riding crop, though I suppose that would be considered child abuse in this day and age. I will not yell, nor will I strike you. Depending on the severity of your failure, you will be penalized accordingly. It is simply not my style to coddle my students and tell them it’s okay because they tried. If I am to teach you, then I will make sure you know the information and skills you require to survive.” Still better than associating with strangers…

“Fine. Teach me what you have to,” you said finally. 

“That’s what I thought you would say,” Sebastian said with a smile, unfolding a pair of glasses he’d withdrawn from his tailcoat, looping a strand of hair behind his ear. Was this ‘teacher mode’? Was he going to turn into some kind of monster? Actually, no; you’d already seen him at his worst—and you hadn’t truly been afraid of it, to be honest. 

“So what’s first, Sebastian?” you asked.

“First, we must establish the proper relationship. While I am teaching you, you will call me Mr. Michaelis. Please note that if you had wished to speak in a public school, you would need to raise your hand and wait to be called on. For eight to twelve hours each day, I will serve as a teacher while for other hours, I can serve as help or simply as Sebastian. Every Saturday will be a day off where you may spend the day as you desire. The subjects I will need to cover include English, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, a second language of your choosing, Life Skills, Health and Fitness, and several other miscellaneous topics such as Music and Technology.” 

“That sounds like a lot...” you mumbled. 

“Correct,” Sebastian confirmed. “I will be trying to fill in the eleven years of learning you missed in a short period of time. I know that sounds harsh or perhaps cruel of me, but know that what I have to teach you will be useful in everyday life. Past students of mine have remarked that I was incredibly hard to impress but that my teaching methods were effective. Do you have any questions?”

“How am I supposed to learn eleven years in whatever short time you propose? And how am I supposed to keep all of that in my head?” 

“The human brain consists of roughly 1 billion neurons with a memory storage of approximately 2.5 petabytes or 1 million gigabytes. It would take more than 300 years of constantly watching television to take all of that up. And as I have said before, I have my methods. Your course should only take a month or two.”

“A MONTH?!” you almost shouted. 

“No complaining.”


	25. Saturday

“Ughhhh...” you groaned, staring at the massive amount of work Sebastian had assigned yesterday. You had been up all night, and you’d barely made a dent. Sebastian, meanwhile, had gone out for groceries, specifically telling you not to exhaust yourself, but you hadn’t listened, wanting to get this towering mass of work done. 

Sebastian’s punishments for late work were not pleasant, to say the least. 

“Break, my ass,” you grumbled as you continued to write your argumentative essay on why cats were the best animals in the world in the penmanship you’d spent all of your first day perfecting. Sebastian had told you that if you were any slower, then you would never finish. 

“Stupid demon.” Still, you thanked your lucky stars that you were used to going without sleep. If you hadn’t been, you would never have survived the first few days. 

Your only real relief was when you ate and after the hours Sebastian taught. Admittedly, if there was anything you didn’t understand, Sebastian would make sure you did, though he  _ never  _ did your work for you. 

Even still, you could feel your eyes wanting to close, your brain not functioning properly. You stood up, about to splash your face with cold water, but your legs failed you, and you collapsed right back onto the sofa. 

**Sebastian’s Point of View**

**“** Hm, F/N’s been working really hard lately,” I said to myself as I looked at a tin of cocoa powder. “I think I’ll make her favorite dessert tonight.” I smiled as I grabbed the powder and searched back through the store for ingredients. 

I made it to checkout, finding myself behind a dapper gentleman. 

“Name, sir?” the cashier asked. 

“William T. Spears.”  _ Vade retro Messoram! Of all places to find this guy...  _ I glanced at the conveyor to discover he was buying an alarmingly large amount of Pocky sticks. 

“Spears...” the cashier mumbled, whose name I had noticed was ‘Rosa’. “Your total comes to $20.29. You saved $10.00. Thank you for shopping with us today, Mr. Spears.” Spears inclined his head slightly, and I sighed as I began setting my groceries on the belt. Something told me as he walked out of the store that this would not be the last time I saw him. 

“Na—oh, Mr. Michaelis!” 

“Yes?” I inquired. 

“I-I heard from a co-worker of mine that you ha-have a girlfriend now?” I smiled slightly.

“Yes, I suppose that would be correct. Though she thinks of me more as an ally rather than a friend.” 

“S-So you w-wouldn’t be open to a d-date then?” I chuckled softly. 

“I’m afraid I will be very busy teaching for a while, Miss Rosa.” She nodded quickly before she started quickly checking out my groceries. 

“Yep; I understand,” she said quickly, handing me a few bags. “Your total is $10.00.” 

“Really?” I inquired as I retrieved my card. “I could swear that chocolate was $10.00 alone.” 

“Most people wouldn’t say anything about being charged less,” Rosa mumbled. “Yes; that’s what the register says.” 

“If you say so,” I said with a sigh, handing her my card. “I simply do not think you should lie as you are.” Rosa had no response as she handed me back my card. 

“Thank you for shopping with us today, Mr. Michaelis.” 

“Merci et de rien,” I replied in French. I hadn’t made F/N choose a language yet; I should probably restrict her to picking a romance language so that she doesn’t select an uncommon language like Hungarian or Greek. I might throw in Mandarin Chinese to the mix if I think she’s up to it... 

It wasn’t long before I was back at the apartment, unlocking the door. I sighed at the sight in front of me. “What am I going to do with you, F/N?” I muttered as I set my groceries on the counter. “I tell you not to exhaust yourself, and you’ve gone and done this?” F/N was passed out over her work, graphite smeared across her cheek from where she’d layed down. 

I took her essay out from under her arm and read through it. I had to say I was impressed; she had finished it and a good chunk of the work I’d given her. Of course, I couldn’t praise her too much; it had to mean something when I did. 

I stared at F/N for a bit, marveling at her features. She might have hated her scars, but I had always thought they made her look more beautiful. The fact that she had not been broken entirely was what impressed me the most; stalked by hunger, betrayal, disease and pain, I didn’t know how she was still alive.

_ Seren, I’m not sure if I should embrace this concern.  _ I thought to myself.  _ I think if I do anymore, that concern is going to turn into something that will turn F/N away from me _ . 

I softly kissed F/N’s forehead.  _ But I can’t say I know if I can stop feeling concern either.  _ “Ah, F/N, what a mess you make me...”


	26. Nursing

**Your Point of View**

“What do you mean, make friends?” you growled at Sebastian over dinner. Sebastian appeared uneasy, almost shifty. “I already have Seyr; who else do I need?” The demon was strangely averting his gaze from you. “And look at me when you’re suggesting something I won’t like.” 

“Seren is worried about you,” Sebastian mumbled. “She thinks you’re getting lonely.” 

“Sebastian, what is wrong with you today?” you asked. “Even during the lesson you refused to look at me. And why would I be getting lonely? I get tired of  _ you _ as it is, let alone brats I can’t trust.” 

“I wonder if I am getting sick,” Sebastian muttered, bringing the back of his hand to his forehead. 

“Do demons even  _ get  _ sick?” you grumbled. 

“No.” Sebastian stood, walking over the refrigerator. “My skin is hot to the touch, and my pulse is out of control. It feels like my organs are in a frenzy.” He withdrew a cluster of ice cubes, which he wrapped in a paper towel and held to his head. “I’m hoping this will pass quickly.” 

“So do I,” you mumbled as C/N wandered up to Sebastian and nuzzled him comfortingly. C/N had grown in the past two weeks, and he was very familiar with the both of you at this point. Although, C/N still liked you better. “It’s not just today either though, Sebastian. You’ve been acting steadily weirder since Seyr visited. Did she say something to you?” Sebastian gave a slight laugh. 

“Yes, I suppose.”

“What did she say then? Get even more unnatural than you already are?” 

“She might as well have,” Sebastian replied, almost evading the question. He glanced back at you with a slight smile, although something was off. 

“There’s blood at the corner of your mouth, Sebastian,” you warned, and he appeared startled. It began to drip off his chin. 

“I think I’ve created a first in demonic history,” Sebastian muttered as he stared at his bloodstained fingers. He suddenly covered his mouth, harshly coughing. You could see the blood was leaking between his fingers. 

“Sebastian?” you asked, tilting your head. He continued to cough, sinking to his knees. You stood, unsure what to do. It looked like he was in pain, but what were you to do? 

“Get me a bucket,” Sebastian rasped, and you were quick to obey. Swiftly, you set the bucket in front of him, and none too soon; he was retching large amounts of blood into the bucket, his body convulsing with effort, his breathing ragged and uneven. 

“Should I get help?” you asked unsurely. Sebastian shook his head slightly. 

“This isn’t a human sickness,” he wheezed with a shudder before he started heaving again. It unsettled you to see him like this; Sebastian was strong and rarely showed pain. And despite how you might have denied it, deep down, you cared a lot about him. 

“Then what do you need me to do?” 

“I need something cold; it feels like I’m being burnt to a crisp.” Something cold... ice. That wouldn’t keep him cold for very long though. Time to use one of his punishments on him. 

You filled a glass of water to the brim with ice and then dumped it on Sebastian’s head, startled as the ice cubes rapidly melted in his hair. He really  _ was  _ burning up. “Keep going,” he barely whispered. 

So you continued to dump ice water on the sick demon until he was drenched and stopped vomiting blood. “I’m tired,” he mumbled, unsteadily standing, and you ran to support him as he was about to lose his balance. “Thank you, F/N...” You didn’t say anything as you slowly trudged to Beatrice’s former room, which he had redecorated some time ago. 

The man had fallen asleep as soon as you shuffled him onto his bed, making you sigh as you worked to move his body fully onto his bed. 

“Piece of work,” you mockingly grumbled. Sebastian’s mouth was still splattered with blood, and his breath was still barely rasping through his throat. “I would have died if I was as sick as you.” You made to feel his forehead, which had cooled down considerably. His skin felt clammy however, and you realized his shoulders and upper chest were thoroughly soaked because of how much water you’d dumped on him.

You sighed again. “You’d better not tease me for this,” you mumbled as you began to undress his upper body again. “I’m only doing this so you get better, alright?” As you expected, he didn’t respond, leaving you to believe he probably would mock you again and say something like being cold and damp isn’t a problem. 

You carefully hung his clothing on a chair to dry before you made your way back out into the living area to take care of the mess. You decided to dispose of the blood first. 

So you hefted the bucket and made your way out of the apartment, though you ran into Alicia on your way out. 

“Hey, it’s been a while!” she called to you. “Since when do you come out of the apartment?” 

“Since now,” you mumbled as you continued to walk, though Alicia followed you outside into the brisk winter air. 

“What’s in that bucket?” she asked curiously. 

“Vomit,” you said vaguely, trying to keep her from getting a good look at its contents. 

“Oh no! Is that boyfriend of yours sick?” 

“Yeah; just a stomach bug. Nothing to be concerned about,” you assured as you found a dark ditch. 

“Nonsense! I have a degree in nursing; I’d like to see him.”


	27. Revelation

“No, that’s fine!” you refuted, but Alicia was already running towards the apartment, to your half-hearted alarm. 

“Neighbors,” you muttered as you raced after her. 

The bucket fell from your hands as Alicia looked in the room Sebastian was in. “Tch.” You readied Destinia, wondering if you would have to kill her. 

“This is not a stomach bug,” you heard Alicia say scornfully as you entered the room. 

It was only as Alicia set her hand on Sebastian’s forehead that you realized her fingernails were painted black, just like Sebastian’s. “I never expected to see this sickness again...” Alicia sighed. “Nor did I expect that I would find another of my species living in such close proximity without my noticing.” 

You paused, taken somewhat aback. 

“You... You’re a demon?” you inquired, making Alicia turn to look back at you. 

“And you know he is? My my! Secrets galore—I do love this apartment building!” Alicia gave you a huge smile, her eyes flashing crimson. 

“Do you know what’s wrong with him then?” you asked hesitantly. “I thought demons couldn’t get sick... or at least that’s what he told me.” Alicia frowned. 

“Technically, no, demons  _ can’t  _ get sick. At least, they can’t get sick the way a human would. That bucket you dumped—it was filled with blood, right?” 

“So what if it was?” you countered, a bit of venom lacing your voice—you couldn’t be too trusting. 

“Well, being a professional in demonic anatomy and medicine for over 100 years, I’ve learned there are very few ways to make us vomit blood without provocation.”

“Get to the point,” you intoned impatiently. 

“Very well,” Alicia complied, standing and walking closer to you. You were about to draw Destinia when she grabbed your dominant hand and your chin, her eyes flashing crimson. “This particular demon who calls himself ‘Sebastian’ is lovesick. Do you know what happens to demons that fall in love?” You narrowed your eyes at Alicia, refusing to answer. Alicia brought her mouth close to your ear, her voice soft. “ _ They die.” _

It took a few moments before the full meaning of her words sank into your system. Sebastian... dead? Gone? Your gaze shot to the demon lying still as a corpse in bed. 

“Why?” That was all you could ask. Tears formed at the corner of your eyes, the first of their kind in a very, very long time. “Why does it all disappear? Every time!” You pushed Alicia away from you to stand next to Sebastian’s unmoving form. “WHY THE HELL DID YOU HAVE TO GO AND GET MY HOPES UP, YOU STUPID FUCKING DEMON?! I THOUGHT YOU WOULD BE THE ONE WHO WOULDN’T BETRAY ME!” One of your tears fell on his face. You hated the sight of it. It told you just how upset you were, how far you’d let your guard down. 

Like everyone and everything else. Every. Single. Time. 

_ It all disappeared.  _

“If you ask me,” Alicia interrupted your mourning rage. “I would say it’s your doing.” 

“How would it be  _ my  _ fault?” you growled. 

“ _ Who do you think he’s in love with, you foolish human?”  _ Alicia growled right back. “Two demons being on friendly terms with each other is so rare, it’s scorned. I’ve lost one of my only friends  _ because of you. _ ” You gritted your teeth, drawing Destinia. 

“FINE!” you roared. “IF NO ONE WANTS ME AROUND, THEN WHY DON’T I RELIEVE YOU ALL OF MY GODDAMN MISERABLE EXISTENCE?!” 

You were about to plunge the dagger Alicia had given you only a few weeks ago into your stomach when a firm hand stopped the knife short of touching your shirt. You were about to snarl at Alicia that this was what she wanted, but the one stopping you was not Alicia. 

“F/N, what are you shouting about?” a familiar voice softly asked. “And why are you attempting to commit suicide?” You slowly turned. 

“You bastard!” you screeched, harshly slapping Sebastian over and over again. “I THOUGHT YOU WERE DEAD, YOU FUCKING PRICK!” Still, you stopping slapping him and squeezed the life out of him. 

“Please, no more screaming at me...” Sebastian muttered. “I’m still recovering. And why is Mrs. Turner in here?” 

“Well I’ll be damned again,” Alicia said, and you glanced at her out of the corner of her eye to see a smirk on her face. “The old cow has still got it.” You let go of Sebastian to glare at Alicia. 

“Tell me why the Hell I shouldn’t kill you right now for what you just put me through,” you snarled. Alicia sighed. 

“Sorry, F/N. I had to make him think you were going to die if he didn’t wake up. In most cases, a lovesick demon  _ does  _ die. It was a gamble, I’ll admit, and a gamble I probably won’t be forgiven for, but...” Alicia faintly smiled. “I don’t like seeing my kind die such meaningless deaths. I’ll take my leave now, and if you should wish to kill me Sebastian or F/N, feel free to follow.” You were about to follow when Sebastian grabbed your wrist. 

“Wait,” he said quietly. “Were you really going to kill yourself?” 

“Does it matter?” you questioned somewhat hostilely. 

”It matters to me,” Sebastian replied. “I thought you were happy...” 

“I... I was happy,” you mumbled. “But I thought you had deserted me, just like... everything else. Anyway, let go of me! I want to kill that bit—” 

“Don’t, F/N,” Sebastian requested. “I may not like the way she used you, but it was the only way I would ever have woken up. Demonic issues such as these always require extreme solutions—the fact that this was resolved without death is impressive. I’d like to keep it that way.” 

“How will you compensate me?” you asked, folding your arms. “I might be happy you’re alive, but I am  _ not  _ happy with you, mister.” Sebastian softly chuckled as he stood. 

“Whatever you want,” he replied. “Be it food, sleep, or play, I am sure I can be accomodating.” 

“Then tell me this: how the Hell did you fall in love with me?” 

“Eh?”


	28. Explain

You stared at Sebastian expectantly, waiting for him to tell you. Why did it take him so long, anyway? 

“I suppose it started since I saw you...” Sebastian muttered before he softly chuckled. “Then again, I do not know what love is, since I have never felt it personally until now. I do care about you a great deal however, F/N, and I’ve grown rather fond of you. If I had to answer what it was about you that made me so enamoured...” Sebastian paused, putting a hand to his chin. “Perhaps your strength?”

“Whatever,” you muttered, not comprehending what he was talking about. If truth be told, you knew less about love than he did, which probably didn’t make for a good combination. “Why do demons die if they’re in love, anyway?” you asked as you went to sit on the couch. 

“If truth be told, it should be impossible,” Sebastian replied with a sigh as he moved to the refrigerator. “The last I heard, our bodies cannot handle the stress of restraining ourselves. Though it may be something else I do not know about.” 

“Why are you restraining yourself if it kills you then?” you asked, laying back on the couch as you heard Sebastian set a jar on the counter. 

“Believe me F/N, you  _ want  _ me to restrain myself.” 

“Why?” 

“You are full of questions, aren’t you?” Sebastian asked, avoiding the question. 

“You owe me answers, Sebastian. Don’t try and distract me, or I’ll come over there and smack you.” Sebastian sighed.

“I suppose you should know. Demons are creatures of sin, and as such, something as pure as love becomes corrupted. While in my mind, it may seem right, in yours, it would repulse you, especially considering your experience.” 

“Give it to me straight, Sebastian,” you grumbled irritatedly, making Sebastian pause. 

“I am trying not to be vulgar about it, but I would rather like you in bed.” 

“Wha?!” you spluttered. 

“You told me to tell you, F/N. In your experience, it is nothing but pain, which is why I restrain myself. I have no desire to hurt you physically, mentally, or emotionally. So please, if I leave you for a few days, understand that is me cooling my head.” 

“Why would you even  _ want  _ to do... that stuff, anyway?” Sebastian glanced at you. 

“There  _ is  _ a reason couples declare their love that way on occasion, F/N. Though I admit my gender all too often lets their instincts decide what to do instead of using their heads. I grant that I am not necessarily an exception, but I do like to think I can restrain myself better.” You had to admit, if it came between  _ that _ and Sebastian dying, you weren’t exactly sure what you would do in that situation. Hopefully, it never would come to that. 

“Don’t hate me if I won’t let you,” you grumbled, making Sebastian chuckle. 

“I do not mind that much; though please try not to let your guard down; I’m having a hard time not kissing you as it is.” 

“What’s kissing?” 

**Sebastian’s Point of View**

I sighed to myself, glancing back at F/N. Normally, I would have demonstrated, but I’m not sure if I could handle even  _ that _ . I was trying to be nonchalant and easygoing, but it was truly difficult to hold myself back. 

My gaze was instantly drawn to her lips, and I felt one of my teeth pierce my tongue, making me wince. I shook my head and turned back to making dessert. 

“Sebastian, you’re bleeding again,” F/N said, sounding worried. “You’re not going to almost die again, are you?” 

“I’m alright,” I replied, swallowing the blood that filled my mouth. F/N yawned, and when she got up, I assumed she had gone to bed. 

I was incorrect. 

F/N pushed me away from my work and dragged me over to the refrigerator, opening the door and shoving my head in. 

“F/N!” I yelped as ice water was dumped on my head, shivering as it traveled down my spine. I should have put my tailcoat back on and not just my shirt. “I said I’m fine!” 

“Then stop bleeding!” 

“I just bit my tongue!” I took my head out of the refrigerator and showed her the small hole I’d accidentally created. F/N folded her arms. 

“I swear if you make me worry like that again, I’ll kill you. And why the Hell did you bite your tongue? What kind of  _ idiot  _ are you?!” 

“I’m too busy trying to—” Shit. I can’t stop.  _ F/N, get away from me!  _ The words wouldn’t leave my mouth however. My hands cupped her face on impulse, and she looked at me with confusion. 

She started to say something, though the words didn’t register in my mind even as I cut her off with a kiss. 


	29. Playful

**Your Point of View**

**“** What are you—mmm?!” Sebastian’s mouth was on yours, and your confusion only rose as you realized you liked it. You could feel his fingers in your hair, massaging your scalp. If you were a cat, you would have been purring. 

The next thing you knew, you were pressed against the kitchen counter, Sebastian becoming more intense. You could swear you heard a low growl from the back of his throat. 

Shortly after that, Sebastian briskly broke away from you, sighing. 

“I apologize, F/N. I did not intend to do that.” As he turned back to whatever he was making, you could hear him mutter. “So soft... so sweet... dammit.” 

“What is?” you inquired, touching your lips experimentally. 

“You are,” Sebastian mumbled, almost beyond your range of hearing. 

“I would think you’d describe me as bitter and sour,” you grumbled. “ _ Seyr  _ is sweet, not me.” Sebastian softly chuckled. 

“Perception,” he remarked simply. “You can freely slap me right now if you wish.” 

“My hands hurt from when I slapped you earlier. Your face is too hard.” That wasn’t necessarily the truth, but it was true that your hands  _ had  _ stung for a little while afterward. 

“Thank Hades you don’t have my mind,” Sebastian muttered as he served your favorite dessert. 

“What about your mind?” you asked, flipping your spoon in the air. 

“Don’t worry about it,” he replied as he retreated to the sink to wash up before glancing at the floor, and you remembered you hadn’t cleaned up all of his blood. “And I’ll be taking care of all the cleaning tonight, so please relax. And when you take your bath, make sure I don’t follow you in.” 

“If you follow me, I’ll kick your testicles so far up your ass they’ll never come back again,” you threatened with a closed-eyed smile. 

“I-Isn’t that a little overkill?” Sebastian questioned, sounding concerned. 

“No. Knowing you, it’s never overkill.” Sebastian smiled slightly as he shook his head. “Now, don’t follow me, or you know what happens,” you said with a smile as you finished your dessert. You could see he was staring after you as you entered the bathroom. 

**Sebastian’s Point of View**

After F/N had entered the bathroom, I sighed to myself. I couldn’t help thinking about her among the bubbles touching herself...

Carnal desire is a bitch. 

I splashed my face with cold water, tempted to slap myself. But I knew I’d probably go overboard and make F/N worried again, so I refrained. I was truly surprised by her concern; she would honestly end her life because of me. I didn’t know whether to hate myself for letting it happen or to be delighted that F/N cared about me. 

And I have a suspicion F/N has feelings for me she doesn’t know about, though whether anything comes of them I would like to leave to her; it should be on her terms. 

Even still, I wanted to kiss her again. And again. And once more.

_ I need to reconfigure my head. I wonder if a romance novel would help me? In that case, maybe I should give one to F/N too, since she doesn’t even know what romance  _ is _. I barely know what it is myself...  _

I sighed to myself.  _ I guess I’ll be making a trip to the bookstore tomorrow. At the very least, it’ll keep me out of trouble for a few hours. _

“AAAAH!” I heard F/N yelp, and I paused. “THE SOAP—IT BURNS!” I broke into a smile before quietly laughing to myself. “It’s not funny, you bastard!” That comment only made me laugh harder. 

“This is even better than when you tried to eat it,” I said through my laughter. 

“What happens if I can’t see after this?!” 

“You’ll be fine, you Dummkopf,” I replied impishly, rolling my eyes. 

“What did you just call me?”

“A blockhead in German.”

“You—! Don’t make me come out there and pour this soap in your eyes!” 

“Alright, alright, I’ll stop. Just rinse your eyes with clean water.” 

“Rinse my  _ eyes?!”  _ I just shook my head, still smiling. “Oh wait. It’s gone.” With a faint smirk still on my face, I knelt and dabbed at my blood on the floor, smearing it on my fingers. Good; I wouldn’t have to scrape it off. “Frick; I forgot to put the towel back in here.” 

“Were you being lazy again?” I asked as I scrubbed the floor. 

“No; I was doing my homework, Mr. Slavedriver. Home Ec. doesn’t matter when I have ten papers due the next day.” 

“You realize that is as much a part of your classes as your main subjects, right?” I asked with a sigh as I stood, walking over to the wash basket and grabbing her towel. “Just because I love you doesn’t mean I won’t punish you for neglecting your tasks.” I pushed the towel under the door. 

“Thanks for the towel, Dummkopf.”

“What are you insulting me for?” 

“Because you can be a dick.” 

“I do have one; why do you ask?” I inquired before I could stop myself. 

“Then it has an inverse correspondence to the expanse of your ego.”

“Who told you that one?” I asked, pleasantly surprised by the insult. 

“I made it up.” 

“I would be impressed, but my self esteem is actually quite low, so you’ve actually complimented me to a  _ lengthy  _ extent. Thank you.”

“Oh, shut up, you egotistical dimwit.” F/N grumbled, and I could practically see her sink into the bath, sulking. The image was enough to make me smile.

“As. You. Wish.” 


	30. Him

**Your Point of View**

“Sebastian, you son of a...” you muttered upon seeing his massive list of chores he’d assigned, along with the note he’d left you. 

_ I told you I wouldn’t let you off so easy, F/N. Have these done by the time I return from the bookstore.  _

You sighed, taking the paper off the wall and glancing through the list. He wanted you to clean the floor, vacuum the furniture, dust and polish the tables, make breakfast, and take care of C/N. Well, that last one you didn’t mind very much. C/N was a good cat; he stayed out of sight for visitors, and even though he was still young, he hadn’t wrecked the furniture. If he scratched you, it was because you were in the way of his favorite toy or because you were pissing him off. 

You set to work almost immediately, not knowing when Sebastian had left or when he would return. You really didn’t want him to penalize you a second time. 

**Sebastian’s Point of View**

I stared at the summary of one of the many, many romance novels in the bookstore, hoping that the storylines varied from this one; the idea presented was preposterous. 

I replaced the book on its shelf and picked out a different one, the cover of which I smiled at. The woman pictured reminded me of F/N. I flipped open to the overview again, liking this one much better. This time, I began to read the first chapter, not noticing the glare directed at me. 

That is, until the person tried to spear me in the back. I sighed, staring at the Reaper’s scythe that I had caught in my hand. 

“You again?” I asked tiredly. The Reaper withdrew his scythe, pushing up his glasses with the tip. 

“Again? I do not believe we have met in the 21st century,  _ Vermin. _ ” 

“No, but I was very close a few days ago,” I muttered. “What on Earth were all those Pocky sticks for?” William blushed slightly in embarrassment.

“T-The Dispatch asked for a box each because I lost a bet, okay? I-It’s not like I like chocolate...” 

“Liar,” I muttered. “Why are you here, in any case? You realize how suspicious it looks to the cameras, don’t you?” 

“I’m on duty, believe it or not,” the Reaper said with a sigh. “And I won’t have you get in my way.” I chuckled in response, making the Reaper bristle. 

“Have you ever known me to interfere, Spears? Unless of course,” I paused, my eyes narrowing. “You interfere with me. Tell me who is bound to die.” A brief streak of fear flickers through me; what if F/N is the one he plans to reap? 

“Why should I tell you?” I growl at the Reaper, feeling my teeth show themselves. 

“ _ Tell me _ .” Apparently, something in my tone actually scared the Reaper, and he pulled out his book from his suit, flipping to the page he wanted. 

“A man by the name of Leon Bayard is to be killed on January 1st, New Year’s Day. Quite a brutal death, I might add. A stab straight through the spine is what is supposed to finally kill him.” I relaxed, sighing with relief. I picked up the book I had dropped and grabbed a second copy, deciding F/N should read one. “Are you serving two masters, by any chance?” the Reaper asked as I picked out another novel and began reading the first chapter. 

“No,” I replied, flipping the page. 

“Then why get two copies?” I glanced back at the Reaper. 

“We aren’t on decent enough terms that I want to tell you that.”

**Your Point of View**

You straightened from your task, letting out a sigh as you cracked your back. You gently moved C/N out of the way as you resumed cleaning the floor. You only had this left, so you became even more focused instead of noticing the voices approaching, nor were you very aware of when the door opened. 

Eventually though, the sudden silence caught your attention. You glanced up from your work to see Sebastian staring at you with a blush on his face and a man wearing glasses with his mouth open. 

Your eyes narrowed at Sebastian, and he suspiciously looked away. 

“You were staring at my ass, weren’t you?” You walked up to Sebastian and then grabbed both his cheeks. “If you’re going to stare, then maybe  _ I  _ need to punish  _ you _ . And who’s the guy with glasses? You know I hate visitors.” 

“F/N, please, I can’t help it... you’re already tempting me with that shirt... And I didn’t want him to follow me, but he wouldn’t stop.” 

“Need me to kill him?” you asked, your hand grasping the handle of Destinia. The man with glasses stepped forward, bowing slightly to you. 

“Excuse me, miss. My name is William T. Spears; here is my card.” You paused slightly as the man gave you a piece of cardstock. 

“Grim Reaper Dispatch... Wait a second...” You stared at the man for a few more seconds. “Will? That guy who was standing on a lamp post?” That made Will pause. 

“Then... you’re the same kid who tried to murder me out of the blue asking for pocket change. You’ve grown...” You could see a faint blush on the Reaper’s cheeks, to Sebastian’s irritation. 

“Spears,” Sebastian said warningly. Will shook his head slightly. 

“Yes, I know; she’s yours. I thought you would be dead by now. How is your old injury, by the way?” You growled slightly. 

“Improperly healed.” Sebastian seemed to realize something. 

“F/N, was the one who gave you that wound in your back named Leon Bayard, by any chance?” Your gaze slowly shifted to Sebastian. 

“Did you say  _ Leon _ ?” 


	31. Strategy

**Sebastian’s Point of View**

F/N’s eyes were wild with rage. I could see the pendant gleaming through her shirt, startling me. I was even more startled when she grabbed me by my tailcoat and pulled me close. 

“ _ Leon Bayard? Is that what you said?”  _ F/N growled, her voice like thunder in her anger. I nodded slightly. “ _ Where is he?”  _ My eyes widened as her eyes flickered crimson, the same color as mine. 

“If I might interject,” Spears remarked, “I received intel that Bayard is supposedly attending a school not far from here.” F/N’s red gaze turned to Spears. 

“ _ Which one?”  _

“Ravenwood, as I recall. A very prestigious school as well.” F/N growled again, about to leap out the door, but I grabbed her hand. This time, she dug her nails into me as she glanced back, her eyes still glowing crimson. 

“ _ Sebastian, this is not the time. I will kill that son of a bitch if its the last thing I do.”  _

“F/N, please calm down,” I pleaded. “I understand—”

“ _ You could never understand,”  _ she cut me off, showing me sharp teeth as she snarled. 

“Do you know where Ravenwood is?”

“ _ I will find it.” _

“F/N, at least let me help you,” I implored. “Please.” F/N’s eyes widened, returning to their normal color. She closed them. 

“Alright,” she said quietly. “Your way. Fine.” 

“If you’ll be joining her, Vermin, make sure you don’t eat that soul I have to collect. Otherwise, I’ll have to kill you.” With that said, the Reaper left the apartment. 

“At this rate, F/N might do it,” I mumbled as I lead her to the sofa and started making tea. 

“So what’s the plan?” F/N asked. 

“You’ll need to infiltrate quietly F/N. I know you don’t like the idea, but if Bayard catches wind that the person he tried to kill is very much alive with vengeance in mind, he’s going to run.” F/N was silent for a few moments. 

“You’re saying I have to pretend to be a student?” I nodded slightly as I handed her a cup of tea. I covered her clenched fist and gently uncurled it. 

“This is the quickest I can guarantee. Even still, I have to get you into Ravenwood in the first place and make sure you don’t kill anyone. The question is how badly do you want to kill him?” 

“Do you have any idea what he did to me?” 

**Your Point of View**

“No, since you refuse to tell me very much about yourself,” Sebastian replied with a sigh. “All I can surmise is that he stabbed you and left you for dead.”

“It was more than that,” you growled, still trying to control your temper. “He was the only person I trusted in that dark, dark world. In fact, I had begun to tell him things I would tell no one else, I trusted him so much. Ahh, the idiocy! Ahh, the gullible idiot I was!” You shot a glare at Sebastian. “He told me we could escape that life. He told me he wanted to run away with me. I fell into his trap. I would have died if not for the fact that was the wrong warehouse that bastard was supposed to lead me to. So I waited as those people searched the warehouse next to it, barely allowing myself to breathe. I thought I would never see another day. You want to know why I don’t frickin trust anyone?! Look at where trust got me! Look at where it gets me  _ every time! _ ” 

Before you were aware of it, Sebastian was kissing your forehead, his arms wrapped comfortingly around you. 

“I am sorry, F/N. Something like that should never have happened to you. I see your urgency, and I will be as quick as I can, alright?”

“Fine,” you mumbled, trying not to indulge yourself in his embrace. It was kind and gentle, but you could sense Sebastian’s anger as keenly as if it were your own. But it was quiet, subdued as if he didn’t want to scare you. 

“I almost forgot,” Sebastian said as he let you go. “I have something for you to read today.” He handed you a novel in pristine condition. “I’ll expect a report on it by tomorrow. I will be discussing every few chapters with you throughout the day.” You groaned. 

“Really? No breaks?” Sebastian chuckled. 

“Now, now, F/N, you know you only get one day off. And now I have to teach you proper social etiquette since you will be enrolling at Ravenwood High.” You laid back on the sofa, sighing as you regarded the cover. 

“ _ Broken...  _ by I. E. Brink. What’s the genre of this one?”

“Romance,” Sebastian replied as he retrieved a second copy and opened to the first page. You stared at the same first page and scoffed. 

“ _ Hello; my name is Irene Brink. Well, that’s how I’d like to call myself anyway. My real name is something quite different, but I resent it. The last time I was called that, I had my world, and my heart, broken apart, _ ” you read aloud. “Really, Sebastian? What happened to  _ Fyre _ ?”

“ _ I am between two worlds, something neither human nor monster—on the Brink, if you will. A small pun on my part. I am to govern both worlds, being impartial to both. But this didn’t quite work out as well as I might have liked. To you, if you possess any regret, my cold-blooded prince, then I send this to you in the hope you will realize my inevitable death was your doing _ ,” Sebastian continued with a glance at you. “I’m sure you will like this one, F/N. Remember how you first reacted to  _ Fyre? _ ” 

Grudgingly, you continued reading. And in fact, the book enraptured you, even distracting you from Leon. You finished it around midday, and you whined at the cliffhanger. The next book wouldn’t be out until the new year, the next book being  _ Shattered _ . “I told you that you would like it,” Sebastian said snidely as he prepared lunch. “And I am still expecting that report.” 

“Oh, shut up, Sebastian...”


	32. Enrollment

“Are you sure? Your shirt looks tight. And that skirt looks a bit… short…” Sebastian mumbled, a clear blush on his face. You glanced back at him. 

“Strange that you would doubt your own handiwork,” you commented, glancing at the hem of your black skirt. Really, the uniform was quite comfortable and (mostly) your style. The school colors were black and navy, the color of a bruise, their mascot a very conceited raven, a wing of which was stylized on your lapel. 

You stretched, and Sebastian slapped his hand over his eyes. 

“This cannot be right, _ ” _ Sebastian mumbled. 

“I grant wearing a skirt isn’t exactly ideal, but I think I can handle a few morons,” you stated, flicking Destinia out of its hiding place. 

“Remember that you can’t kill them unless they try to do something illegal,” Sebastian warned with a sigh. You frowned. 

“What happens if they try to feel me up like you did yesterday?” 

“I thought we agreed not to say anything more of that incident…” Sebastian mumbled. 

“You should have known that when I said, ‘I’ll think about it’, I wasn’t going to let it go. You didn’t answer my question.” 

“Report the child that does it. Didn’t you read the school’s student handbook?” You shrugged. 

“I skimmed it.” Sebastian sighed. 

“You can really be a piece of work, you know?” You yawned slightly. 

“And yet you still keep me around. Although I’m beginning to understand why, if you’re anything like Wylirian.” Sebastian chuckled slightly. 

“I  _ should  _ be more like him.” You snorted. 

“Stay the way you are, Pridurok,” you reproached as you passed him to take the kettle off the burner; it was just beginning to boil. “Though you’re an ass, you should remain one.” That, and you suspected you actually liked it when he teased you. 

Since the first time he’d kissed you a few days ago, Sebastian had repeated the action on four occasions. And the day before yesterday, he’d done it twice in one day. And, yesterday, as you had mentioned, he tried to feel you up. If you were honest, there was a part of you that didn’t want to stop him sheerly out of curiosity. You were just hoping he didn’t know that.

“I don’t know whether to be insulted or gratified,” Sebastian muttered. You rolled your eyes. 

“Do you have a uniform, or am I the only one,  _ Mr. Michaelis _ ?” you inquired. 

“No; only the students are required to wear uniforms,” Sebastian replied, handing you the black blazer that was to go over your shirt. “I do have a dress code however, and it is recommended that I wear the school colors.” It was with that Sebastian pulled out his spectacles and took off his tailcoat. 

“What time is it now, anyway?” you asked, yawning again. “And why on Earth do they make students get out of bed at such an ungodly hour?”

“Currently, it is 6:00 A.M. School begins at 7:00. Do you remember what your homeroom number is?” You rolled your eyes. 

“1325; yes I know what it is. What I want to know is why the rooms start from the 1000’s instead of at 1.” 

“First floor, arts and humanities section, room 25,” Sebastian answered. “Does that answer your question?” 

“So the first two numbers should actually be separate then?” 

“If you become used to the system, there is no need to separate them,” Sebastian replied. “And remember that when you see Bayard, as difficult as it may be—”

“Do not engage him, I know,” you replied glumly. “And when I get the opportunity, take a picture of him and send the image to you.” Sebastian nodded. 

“I know that what I ask is not easy, but neither is discreetly extracting and killing a student. To make sure there is no legal involvement, I will need to erase his presence entirely. After that, I promise you can do with Bayard as you wish.” 

“He needs to suffer.” 

<><><>

“1325, 1325, 1325...” you mumbled in the ornate halls which were buzzing with black and navy. You hissed as a student bumped into you, but you didn’t dare do anything else. 

“Hey, I haven’t seen you around before!” a cheerful voice called, grabbing your shoulder. You whipped around, all of your muscles taut. The smiling boy with brown hair and blue eyes didn’t even notice. He appeared about your age. “Are you that new transfer my friends were talking about?” 

“What’s it to you?” you asked cautiously. 

“If you’re looking for your room number, I know this school like the back of my hand; I can give you directions.” 

“It’s 1325,” you replied warily, and the boy whistled. 

“Wow, you must be a smart cookie! Okay, from here, walk straight until you see the second bend. Turn right and then left. Mr. Griffin’s room is right there. Hope to see you around, smart cookie!” With that, the boy left you, and you sighed, beginning to follow the course the boy had directed. 

To your surprise, you did find 1325 easily, and more surprising, you were the first one in the room. The mahogany-haired man stooped over paperwork glanced up at you, and you could clearly see laugh-lines written into his face. 

“Ah, you must be F/N,” he said with a smile, his voice pleasant and good-natured. “Please take any seat. Since you’re new here, is there anything you’d like to know?” Questions? 

“Well, I don’t really know what exactly you teach,” you mumbled. 

“I teach U.S. History from beginning to end.” That gave you pause; you had already learned half of the  _ entire world’s _ history from Sebastian. Maybe he had taught you something. 

Something else occurred to you. 

“Mr. Griffin, you wouldn’t happen to know a boy by the name of Leon Bayard, would you?” you asked carefully, and the man with brown eyes frowned. 

“Afraid I haven’t, F/N. Oh, yes—is there anything you would prefer to be called?” You felt your lips quirk into a smirk as you thought of a prank.

“Call me Michaelis.” 


	33. Sighting

“Alright,” Mr. Griffin said with a smile. “I will call you by your last name.” That gave you pause, and you realized what Sebastian had done. 

_ “One step ahead of me, that prick...”  _ you said to yourself with a slight smile. 

“What did you say, Michaelis?” Mr. Griffin asked with an eyebrow raised. 

“Oh, nothing,” you replied as someone walked through the door, a dirty blond-haired girl with murky blue eyes. She walked right up to where you were sitting. 

“Hey, that’s my seat,” she said to you, placing her hand on the desk, her eyes narrowed. 

“Calluna, please; you know my seating is free game for anyone. Don’t make me take that away from you,” Mr. Griffin warned. 

“Tch,” she grumbled, though just before she walked past you, you heard her say, “ _ Teacher’s pet; you won’t have your way forever.”  _

You only chuckled.

**Sebastian’s Point of View**

“Mr. Smith, please sit down,” I directed the brown-haired youth with a sigh. “I appreciate your clear respect for your teacher, but to degrade me is quite something else.” 

“But Mr. Anders would  _ never  _ retire,” the stubborn boy retorted.  _ True,  _ I thought to myself.  _ And he certainly tried to put up a fight, but he isn’t the perfect teacher you imagine him to be. _

“Nick, calm down,” one of his friends urged. “Just give the guy a shot, would you? Enough teachers hate you.” Nick sighed and sat back down. I smiled. 

“Thank you. Now, my name, as I was saying, is Mr. Michaelis, and I am to be the teacher replacing Mr. Anders. I will be teaching French as he did, though I do not imagine our teaching styles are remotely alike.” I paused, realizing the girls in the room would probably run up to me as soon as the bell rung. What was I, a piece of meat?

A hand raise. 

“Mr. Michaelis, will we have Free Day Friday?” a girl asked. 

“I assume you mean a free period every Friday? If so, I’m afraid I am not such a lenient teacher. My job is to educate, and educate I shall,” I replied, to a plethora of groans. The silent hum of my phone caught my attention, and I paused. “Excuse me for a moment.” 

I walked out into the hallway and glanced at my phone, which had a picture of a black-eyed, black haired boy. His uniform was messily done, and his mouth was curved into an idle smirk. I softly growled. 

The text F/N sent along with the image was this:  _ He’s in my Math class. The dick is always smiling. _

I texted back:  _ Then smile like the demon you are. _

It was as I re-entered the classroom that I remembered how close to reality that was at this point. Should I take the pendant? Do I want to? 

“What was that about, Mr. Michaelis?” a girl called out. I smiled widely. 

“Oh, simply a minor irritation. 

**Your Point of View**

Lunch rolled around quickly enough, but rather than going to the cafeteria, you made your way to your last period, which was to say, Sebastian’s class. Just before you were about to approach the room, you encountered the youth who had directed you to your homeroom. 

“Oh hey! I didn’t catch your name, cookie. Mine’s Nicolas Smith, but everyone calls me Nick!” How could this kid be so cheerful all the time?

“...it’s F/N Michaelis,” you said, and his face lit with shock. 

“Then... are you that guy’s  _ daughter?! _ Holy crap.” At that moment, Sebastian had re-opened his door, long enough to hear. Nicolas scratched the back of his head. “Guess getting off on the wrong foot with him wasn’t smart... big oof.” Nicolas took another breath. “But hey, if you want to, you can sit with my friends.” 

“I’ll have to pass,” you replied a little more coldly than the situation asked. But what could you say? You didn’t trust easily. 

Still, the boy was unfazed by your coldness, still as happy-go-lucky as ever. 

“Alright, but I’ll see you around!” he exclaimed as he ran down the hall. 

“Do not run in the halls, Mr. Smith!” Sebastian called after him before sighing. “Daughter? Really?” he asked as you walked into his now-empty classroom. 

“Apparently. You brought this on yourself by saying my last name was Michaelis,” you mocked with a slight yawn. 

“It was the first thing that came to mind,” Sebastian muttered. 

“I think it’s actually quite funny, especially considering you kissed me five times.”

“Don’t even  _ talk  _ about kissing,” Sebastian whined. “I’ve had several students, not to mention a few teachers, come up to me already asking for a demonstration of the French greeting.” You chuckled. 

“So you missed me?” you asked, half-joking. 

“F/N, of course I missed you,” he responded seriously as he brought out the lunch he had made earlier that morning. 

“No need to be so solemn,” you muttered as he gave you a plate and served you. “And what of Leon? Is he supposed to be in any of your classes?” Sebastian nodded. 

“Last period, the same as yours.” You broke into a lopsided smile. 

“Good. We’ll break him  _ piece _ by _ piece _ .”


	34. Bullying

“And what is this about?” you asked of Calluna, who had pulled you into a bathroom shortly after you had left Sebastian. Her eyes were as filthy as ever.

“No one gets away with opposing me in this school, Michaelis,” she said with a somewhat manic smile. “I heard that French teacher kissed you a couple times, am I right?” You didn’t say a word. “I can tell you two are a little bit closer than student and teacher. Why don’t I get Mr. Michaelis arrested for pedophilia? And as for you, well the law can’t really touch a minor, but I suppose that just leaves me to beat you myself.” Again, you said nothing. “Although...” she said, a conniving smirk slipping across her face. “I might forgive you if you get on your hands and knees and lick my shoes clean!” 

“Calluna,” you said finally. “I have bigger fish to fry here, so if you’d kindly keep your frickin’ nose to yourself, I would appreciate it.” 

“Excuse me?!” she nearly screeched, and you glared at her. 

“Sebastian told me that if ever a student were to harass me, then I should report them,” you began, taking careful steps towards Calluna. “But that isn’t really my style. And truth be told, I have a very short fuse. Not to mention...” You felt your mouth open, two of your teeth strangely long and sharp against your bottom lip. “ _ You threatened the one person I think I can finally trust. Suffice to say I don’t like that. _ ” 

Calluna, at this point, was staring at you with wide, frightened eyes, backing into the wall. 

“D-Demon,” she whimpered, and you could see she had soiled herself in fear. That was an effect you hadn’t seen in weeks. 

“ _ Call me as you like _ ,” you whispered by her ear, using one of Sebastian’s techniques. “ _ But never threaten me again. I have been through far more than your petty struggles to cling to your meager power, so do not test my patience. _ ” 

With tears streaming from her eyes, Calluna quickly nodded. 

“Please, forgive me, please, please...” You seized her chin. 

“ _ You had better hope you aren’t faking your repentance.” _

“I’m not, I’m not, I swear!” she wailed in terror, and you finally let her slump to the floor sobbing as you walked out of the bathroom. You became more irritated upon realizing you must have missed the bell.

**Sebastian’s Point of View**

“ _ Qu’est que c’est?  _ [What is this?]” I inquired, pointing to a bedroom. The usual girl raised her hand as well as a few others. Surprisingly, the only boy of this period raised his hand. 

“ _ Une chambre avec un lit blanc. Sur le lit, il y a quatre oreillers, des draps et deux couvertures.  _ [A bedroom with a white bed. On the bed, there are four pillows, some sheets and two blankets.]” 

“ _ Félicitations  _ [Congratulations] _ ,  _ Lucas.”

“ _ Mais professeur, je pense votre petite-amie veut ton attention.  _ [But teacher, I think your girlfriend wants your attention.]” I paused, realizing my phone was buzzing. I forgot to excuse myself as I quickly looked at the texts she had sent me. 

_ You said not to engage him. But what do I do when he engages me? _

_ Sebastian, answer your phone now. _

_ I don’t care what you’re doing.  _

I growled, feeling my rage boil up as I thought of the bastard. He shouldn’t have the right to see her, let alone talk to her for what he’d done. He damaged my dear Kitten permanently; he deserved pain. 

Without a word, I left the room and called F/N. I told myself I did not want a confrontation, but I suppose on a personal level I didn’t want that scum talking to my dear F/N. 

_ “Oh, hey sweetie!”  _ her voice came cheerfully through. “ _ Did you get any  _ **_help_ ** _?” _

“Yes, but I’m so  **distracted** I couldn’t get anything done. I need to  **get away** from these tempting little beauties you left me.”

“ _ But  _ **_how_ ** _ can you resist?”  _

“I guess I’ll just have to use  **myself** as an  **excuse** and get rid of the craving.”

“ _ Keep  _ **_talking_ ** _ to me if you really want to keep your mind off it—sorry, I’m busy, please stop bothering me.”  _

“Do you have another  **boy** there with you?” 

_ “Listen my dear darling is getting jealous! I don’t want to worry him so badly; I’m no  _ **_backstabber_ ** _.”  _

“I would hope not; tell him I don’t like him.” 

_ “Alright, alright, jeez. I was just going to ask if you had a pencil sharpener.” _ I smiled as I heard retreating footsteps. “ _ Thank you, sweetie. I’ll call back soon, okay? _ ” 

“Let’s hope not too soon,” I said with a slight growl as she hung up, glaring at the far wall. Sometimes my wrath was more unstable than hers was.

**Your Point of View**

Last period could not have come slower. But you were the first in Sebastian’s room, and when he saw you, he whispered to you:

“ _ I will have Bayard read in front of the class. Incite students to criticize him. It might seem childish or too slow, but breaking his confidence is a good step.”  _ You nodded slightly before taking your seat. 

When Sebastian instructed your enemy to read for the class, you watched as his smirk slowly changed to a scowl, as if a good dream had suddenly taken a turn for the worse. 

You smiled as you watched the show.


	35. Cold

You went home with Sebastian that day feeling somewhat satisfied. Nothing had gone really wrong today with your plans, although Sebastian did chastise you for scaring Calluna instead of reporting her. 

Either way, the dinner you made with Sebastian made you pleasantly sleepy and relaxed. 

“What chu starin’ at?” you asked Sebastian in your relaxed state, making Sebastian softly smile. 

“You’re captivating when you smile. How can I resist?” You yawned. 

“Sappy demon,” you mocked, making him chuckle. 

“Yes, I suppose I’ve become rather soft with you, but…” Sebastian stood and walked over to you, gently tilting up your chin. “You’re my little kitten; how can I not be kind to you?” 

“MREOW!” C/N whined, making Sebastian laugh as he picked up the lithe feline. 

“Yes, you’re my kitten too,” he replied, booping the cat’s nose before handing him to you. C/N laid on your lap almost immediately, making you smile as you softly pet his head. “F/N,” Sebastian said softly, and you looked up inquiringly, only to find your lips against his yet again. 

You had never pushed Sebastian away when he kissed you, but you had never really reacted either. 

But right now, you were intoxicated by comfort. Which is why, when the demon wrapped his hand in your hair, you mirrored the action, no longer giving the cat his attention. C/N meowed again in seeming annoyance before he jumped off your lap. 

Sebastian gently played with your upper lip as he brought you up to a standing position. You found the fingers of your other hand interlaced with Sebastian’s as he began to slowly walk with you. 

Sebastian had told you he planned to teach you the Vienna waltz at some point; was this what it was?

But you had also faintly noticed he was slowly walking in the direction of your bed. Only faintly you acknowledged the notion of kicking him, since, to be honest, you were enjoying yourself. 

It was as he had your upper back pressed against the mattress that he stopped with a guilty look on his face. “I’m sorry, F/N; being away from you took its toll on me…” he mumbled abashedly.

He bowed once and was about to leave when you grabbed his sleeve. He glanced back at you, his eyes inquiring. 

“I’m cold, Sebastian,” you said as you sat up. And it was absolutely true; with the passage of the winter months, your room had been getting uncomfortably chilly at night. He nodded. 

“I will get you more blankets,” he replied, but you still had not let him go. 

“I’m asking you to sleep with me, Sebastian.” The demon’s eyes widened, flickering magenta, his face flushing. He shook his head slightly as if ridding himself of a pesky flea. 

“I’m assuming you have no idea that phrase has two meanings,” Sebastian mumbled, still shaking his head. 

“Two?” you asked, clueless, making Sebastian smile. 

“Nothing,” he replied as he took his shoes off. 

**Sebastian’s Point of View**

_ Bad demon, bad demon, bad demon,  _ I chastised myself in my head as I thought briefly of F/N wailing in ecstasy. 

“I am assuming you have no idea that phrase has two meanings?” I asked, trying not to slam my head against the wall to get the thought out of my head. 

“Two?” she asked me, and I smiled at her innocence. It was surprising how much she knew already and yet there were some things she was still oblivious of. One of them was the effect of her true, relaxed smile. 

“Nothing,” I replied as I took off my shoes. F/N yawned. 

“Sebastian, do you think I’m becoming too soft?” she asked quietly as I unbuttoned both my tailcoat and waistcoat, sliding them off. 

“I like you soft.” I paused, realizing she probably wasn’t referring to her skin. “And I don’t believe being soft is necessarily a bad thing,” I recovered, sitting on the edge of the bed. 

“But that naivety cost me dearly, Sebastian. I should have killed that bitch when she threatened to have you arrested for pedo-whatever.”  _ Pedophilia? Technically, it would be correct, but I don’t think F/N should be lumped in with other adolescents…  _

“There’s a difference between being smart and being soft, F/N,” I replied calmly. “If you had killed her, the law would be against you again. I took the liberty of erasing your last record, so please do not create a new one.” F/N sighed. 

“I was just thinking that before you picked me up how stubborn I was... but now I’m compliant. And I feel like I can actually trust you. Not just that, but I killed someone at least twice a week. I haven’t killed since Filchner.” 

“You don’t  _ have _ to kill anymore, F/N,” I said softly, but she shook her head. 

“Killing is part of who I am, Sebastian, like it or not. It’s the first thing I ever learned to do from what I can remember.” F/N softly smirked. “I think I jammed a spoon in someone’s eye socket. And anyway, what part of  _ with me  _ do you not understand?” 

I smiled slightly, laying down next to her.

“Yes, of course.” My gaze was drawn to her pendant, reminding me that I should probably remove it for her sake. “F/N, that necklace...” I trailed off, not knowing how to word what I wanted to say. 

“Spit it out, Sebastian, whatever you want to say,” she said shortly. I was silent for a few more moments, realizing that keeping the information could cost me dearly. 

“I confirmed it a few days ago; that’s the Black Eternity Pendant, said to transform its wearer into a demon.” F/N stared at me for a few moments. 

“So?” she asked. “I’m already considered one.” 

“But F/N,” I protested. “being a demon and being called one are quite different.”

“As far as I’ve seen, Sebastian, you’re pretty damn domestic for a terrifying beast,” she remarked dryly.

“Weren’t you the least bit scared when I ate Beatrice’s soul?” I questioned.

“Not really,” F/N said with a shrug. 

“You haven’t seen my true form either,” I pushed, though her eyes actually lit up.

“Let’s see it then.” 


	36. Demons

**Your Point of View**

“Let’s see it then,” you requested, interested. Sebastian hesitated. 

“F/N, are you sure about this? My true form isn’t something you’d call appealing…” You sighed at Sebastian’s reluctancy. 

“I’m sure I’ve seen worse,” you replied with closed eyes. “I’m not afraid of you, Sebastian, and I don’t believe I should be.” Sebastian sighed with a slight smile on his face. 

“You always are so stubborn,” he replied as he sat up. Sebastian’s eyes glowed crimson in the unlit room, and you could swear you saw black feathers spiraling to the floor. But when you reached out to touch one, it dissolved into nothing. 

You blinked a few times, realizing the room was growing darker while you tried to see.

What you saw actually made you blush a little. 

The reason was simple: Sebastian looked attractive to you as a demon. His crimson eyes were uncertain as he stared at you, but you took one of his hands and inspected his elongated claws, curiously prodding at the points. 

“Are those wings?” you asked, peering around. “And is that a  _ tail? _ ” 

“Wha—” Sebastian whipped around as you curiously played with his tail. 

“What kind of horns are these?” you questioned, mystified as you ran a hand along one. 

“Wai— aah?” 

“You have such sharp teeth,” you remarked, tracing the points of his teeth with your finger, finding your finger cut when you removed it. “And did your eyes get redder?” 

“F/N, please stop; you’re making me restless,” he pleaded, and you sat back. 

“Really? I was just curious…” Sebastian quickly changed to his human form, his face flushed crimson. 

“I think I really need a cold shower…” he muttered, slapping a hand over his face. 

“But if you take a shower, you won’t be warm,” you complained. 

“This is torture...” 

**Sebastian’s Point of View**

I could feel my face was on fire. I definitely hadn’t been expecting her to become so curious that she fearlessly toyed with me. 

I should have told her how sensitive my tail was. 

“How is this torture?” F/N asked. “I would think you’d be delighted.” 

“May I be blunt?” I requested. 

“Since when do I ask for you to have any tact? Say what you need to say.” 

“I’m really excited right now, and I’m struggling to restrain myself. Can I take that cold shower now?” For a moment, F/N blushed dark red, her gaze briefly flicking to my nether region before she said:

“No.” And then she dragged me back down and hugged me. 

“You really are a cat…” I muttered at her obstinance. 

“And you’re warm, so stay still and don’t rape me,” she replied stubbornly. “Am I really asking that much?” I smiled softly, beginning to calm down. 

“Of course not, my precious kitten,” I murmured as returned the hug. 

**Your Point of View**

You woke with your back against Sebastian’s chest, your legs slightly tangled up. You glanced at your phone to see it was only 5:00 in the morning; you still had an hour before you would prepare for your return to Ravenwood. 

A hand moving under your shirt caught your attention, giving you pause. 

“Her skin really is soft,” you heard Sebastian say, and you realized he must have still thought you were asleep. He traced several of your scars, and you didn’t quite know whether you wanted him to stop or to continue. “I wonder if…” The hand traveled upward, and you suppressed the urge to squeak as he squeezed the tender flesh. “Mmm, I probably shouldn’t be doing this, but I really want to...” he murmured, and you felt his chest press closer to you as he softly kissed your neck. 

Meanwhile, you did your best not to react while Sebastian whispered, “F/N, you have no idea what you do to me... the indecent things I want to do to you. I want to make you feel ecstasy and give you a taste of what trust and compassion can  _ truly  _ become...” Slowly, Sebastian removed his hand, sighing. “Unfortunately, I think I’ve fallen in love with a woman who will never return my sentiments. But if she does not wish it, then I shall not do it... to the best of my ability anyway. I am still an adult male.” 

You pretended you were asleep as Sebastian got out of bed and softly kissed your forehead before you heard a door close. 

Curious, you got out of bed and listened for a few moments. 

“Oh my lord, Sebastian...” you mumbled embarrassedly, realizing what he was doing to himself. After the first second, you did your best not to hear as you quickly changed into your uniform. 

When Sebastian walked back out of his room, he asked why you were blushing, and you furiously shook your head as you made your way into the kitchen and started making breakfast to take your mind off it. A part of you had half-listened with perverted interest. Something told you that interest wasn’t just curiosity. 

But if that was the case, then did you really love and trust Sebastian? 


	37. Retribution

**January 1st, 20xx**

“Hey, Leon, don’t you think Mr. Michaelis is a little too harsh on you?” you inquired as you stood in front of your hated enemy’s desk at the end of class while he was packing up. 

“Hell yeah! I’m really glad you’ve been supporting me, F/N. You’re nothing like your father.” You suppressed a devilish smirk. What an idiot. 

As it turned out, Leon had all but forgotten about how he’d been able to get into this school, and he had begun to trust you wholeheartedly. Of course he had no idea you were the one behind Leon’s steady decline. 

First, you had broken his confidence. Then you’d turned all of his teachers, then his friends against him. You were ‘the only one who stayed by his side.’ Sebastian was busy smoothly erasing Leon’s name from all documentation. “It’s so stupid that we had to come in today though isn’t it? Every other school has off during the new year, so why does Ravenwood have to be that one school out? This  _ has  _ to be illegal!” Leon continued to whine. 

“At least we had Christmas off, you big baby,” you replied snidely. Having Christmas off was actually disappointing; it would have been nice to have your revenge as a present. “Today is supposed to be a day of reflection and new beginnings. Maybe you can get rid of that attitude of yours. And in fact...” You fakely glanced back at the security camera, already knowing that only Sebastian could possibly be the only one watching. “We  _ could  _ start the new year with getting rid of Mr. Michaelis...” 

“How do you propose we do that?” Leon asked with a sigh as he shuffled his backpack onto his shoulder. “The guy is perfect.” You smiled and whispered your plan into Leon’s ear.

**Sebastian’s Point of View**

_ He’s taken the bait hook line and sinker. Up to the roof we go.  _

I read the text with a smile. After a long few days of pretending to be a teacher and steadily breaking our target, this was very satisfying.  _ Very.  _ I hoped F/N would make him suffer—and possibly let me have my fun with him too. 

I folded away my spectacles and climbed a stairway, unlocking the door with my key. I took a seat at the edge of the roof, watching and waiting with an idle smile spread across my visage. 

I did not have to wait long. 

F/N shortly walked out of the door I had just unlocked, followed closely by the death-marked teenager. Leon smiled at me. I smiled at him. 

“Hello, Mr. Bayard,” I greeted smoothly. “What brings you up to the roof?” 

“You, Mr. Michaelis. You’re about to disappear from this school real soon.” Leon’s eyes were filthy. 

“Oh, you are correct,” I replied serenely, throwing him off balance. “I never did intend on staying for long... Do you know the reason why you had school today?” 

“B-Because the district said so?” Leon replied uneasily. I smiled brighter. 

“It was because I ordered it. My Kitten was growing very impatient. She told me she couldn’t wait until after the break, or she would go insane.” 

“Your... Kitten?” I chuckled evilly. 

“Ah, you fool, Bayard. Do you know that the name ‘Michaelis’ is derived from the word for ‘repayment’? I gave those names to F/N.” Leon’s eyes slowly widened as he looked back at F/N, who was smiling with the same malice. 

“Remember these, Leon?” F/N asked as she took out her old knives. 

“Impossible...” Leon whispered, backing up. “They should have taken you.” The poor human appeared as if he’d seen a ghost. F/N chuckled. 

“You know, originally, I was just going to stab you straight through the spine and leave you to die like you did to me, but...” F/N glanced back at me and gave me the signal. I took my knives from my waist coat and pinned Bayard to the door by his clothing. “I think we can afford to torture you this time, yes? Maybe if you’re lucky I’ll get careless and accidentally kill you before I’m done.” 

“I wouldn’t let you. Apologies, Mr. Bayard, but I won’t let you die easily,” I interjected with a demon’s smile. “You hurt my dear Kitten permanently; however could I forgive you for that?” Leon growled and spit in my face, making me laugh. “Someone still has fire! I will greatly enjoy breaking you.”

“You bastards! You’ll regret this!” 

“Oh, really?” F/N asked, her eyes glimmering with crimson rage as she tilted Leon’s chin up with the pommel of one of the two daggers. “ _ Because I think I will  _ **_greatly_ ** _ enjoy your suffering.”  _

**Your Point of View**

“AAAAAAAAHHHH!” Leon screamed at the top of his lungs. It sounded like music to your ears. “HELLLLLLP MEEEE!!” You only chuckled at his pleas. There was no danger of being heard here. You would be able to enjoy his wails of pain as much as you liked; that much Sebastian had promised. 

At the moment, the demon was grinning with joy as he slowly tore into Leon’s torso. 

“Would you like me to go slower? Come, give me a nice scream...” Sebastian whispered as he sunk his claws in. 

“AAAAAHH IT BURNS!” Sebastian darkly laughed, the sound echoing in your head. This also sounded quite pleasing. It had already been an hour, but you were honestly having fun. 

Leon had broken apart after you had crushed each of his nails and destroyed the bones in his hands. He was a weeping, screaming mess when Sebastian had gotten out a whip made with pieces of steel. Each lash made fresh, new bruises on his sickeningly unblemished skin, cutting it in places where Sebastian didn’t balance his strength enough. 

“AAAAAAAHHHH!” Leon started coughing again, and Sebastian watched. “W-Why...are.. you doing this...?” he wheezed, staring at Sebastian through half-lidded eyes. 

“Because you chose to betray someone I love,” Sebastian whispered next to Leon’s ear. “And let’s just say that someone isn’t happy with you either.” Sebastian glanced over at you. “Your turn,  _ dear _ .” You snorted as he withdrew his claws. 

“I’m not your wife, Sebastian,” you replied, making him chuckle. 

“Maybe you will be, one day~” he hummed in response, unbothered. You smiled and slightly shook your head as Sebastian gave you new torture tools.

You placed a cloth over Leon’s head and poured water over his nose and mouth. You smiled as he struggled to breathe. After a few moments, you removed the cloth and let him take a few lungfuls of air. And then you repeated the process several times over to fully simulate the sensation of drowning. 

You then poured liquid nitrogen onto right shoulder while Sebastian burned his left. Somehow, Leon still had it in him to scream. You were delighted, to say the least. 

It was sometime later before you finally let him lie flat on his stomach in front of you. He was panting tiredly, his eyes flickering as if he was struggling to stay alive, which he probably was. 

But you ended it all with a manic grin as you drove his own knife through his spinal cord, the same knife which had pierced you six years ago. Leon’s eyes bulged for a few seconds, and then...

Leon Bayard, at last, was deceased. 


	38. Celebration

You laughed with unbridled madness, seeing your revenge completed, only barely noticing the red current of energy surrounding you. However, you did notice it more when your teeth had begun to cut your lip and your eyes had begun to burn. 

Your laugh slowly turned into a scream as Sebastian rushed to your side, trying to help you, only to be blown back by the red energy and slammed to the ground hard enough that he coughed. 

And everything turned black. 

**Sebastian’s Point of View**

I watched with a sense of admiration as F/N laughed at the sight of her enemy’s corpse, but my admiration quickly turned to alarm as a tide of red-dyed wind whipped about her body. 

Her teeth were lengthening, sharpening. Her eyes were glowing bloody scarlet. Seeing she was in pain, I rushed to take the Eternity Pendant off her, as that had to have been what was causing it, only to be blow back by a gale of wind and land flat on my back, coughing. 

Her scream turned bestial, her hands morphing into claws. I was getting up again when:

_ Chink. _

The energy was silenced almost immediately afterward, F/N’s scream the same. I rushed over to her, taking my chance while the current was gone to tear the pendant off, but I noticed something odd. 

_ The onyx was chipped.  _

I shook my head at the occurrence, casting it away and cupped F/N’s cheeks. 

“F/N, F/N, F/N,” I whispered, shaking her slightly. She moaned and turned her face into my stomach. 

“It’s too bright outside,” she whined, making me sigh with relief. 

“Don’t worry me like that, you little heart thief,” I muttered, kissing the side of her head. Shortly afterward, I saw lines of film rise into the air, and I knew Spears had arrived on the scene. For a little while, I stared at the Cinematic Record, watching the events play through as Leon saw them. 

All I can say is he had better go to Hell. 

Spears noticed I had been looking and shook his head. 

“You would make a terrible Reaper,” he remarked, clapping a hand on my shoulder. “But I admit you really do love that girl. Take good care of her, Michaelis.” I glanced after the Reaper, realizing that was the first time he had ever called me by my name. Shortly after, Spears disappeared from sight. 

My attention returned to F/N, who was falling asleep on my lap, making me sigh. 

“What on Earth am I going to do with you?” 

**Your Point of View**

“Mm, Sebastian, where am I?” you mumbled to the raven-haired demon. He prodded your lip, his finger touching one of your teeth. 

“That’s not possible,” he muttered, clasping your hand in his. You reached out and squeezed his cheek for not answering your question. “You’re at home,” he replied with distorted speech, and you let him go. 

“Home, eh?” you mumbled. “Do you know what my dream home was before I met you?” Sebastian shook his head slightly. 

“A maximum security safe, like those things in banks. I wouldn’t have had to worry about adults or other children until I went outside... But this... this is more comfortable than the highest possible safety I could have. If there is just one person I trust, then that person is you, Sebastian.” 

“What about Seren?” You laughed. 

“I was trying to compliment you, you dolt,” you replied. “But yes, I suppose I really trust Seyr too. But not the same way as you.” You sat up, rubbing your eyes, realizing Sebastian had lain you in bed, the demon sitting next to your bedside. 

“How is trust different from Seren to me?” Sebastian asked, his eyes sparkling with barely concealed mischief, making you sigh. 

“Considering that look in your eyes, you already know; you just want me to say it out loud.” Sebastian chuckled. 

“Maybe~ But I deserve that much after you worried me like that.” 

“Alright fine. I trust you enough that it would completely shatter me if you  _ ever  _ betrayed me,” you shot Sebastian a glare, making him frown. “I am saying that I hold affection for you greater than I believed myself to be capable. I love you, Sebastian Michaelis.” You stood up, grasping the man’s tie and kissing him, to his surprise. You broke away from him shortly, grasping his hair. “And I swear that if you  _ ever  _ betray my trust, I’ll tear out your heart and show it to you.” Sebastian only chuckled as he caressed your cheek. 

“You’re absolutely perfect,” he murmured, staring straight into your soul. “And I swear on my cursed blood that I will never deceive you, nor will I ever be disloyal to you. I love you and only you, F/N.” Sebastian smiled gently. “And today is a special occasion, so I’ll make anything you want tonight.” 

“F/F,” you answered, and both of you grinned. 

“ _ As you wish, my love, _ ” he replied, mockingly bowing. Before he left, you grabbed his hand. 

“And Sebastian,” you said, a demon’s grin curving your lips as he looked inquisitively back at you. “If you want, I’ll put on that underwear you like, and we can do  _ whatever _ we want with each other. This  _ is _ a special occasion, right?” The poor demon’s jaw dropped, his face scarlet. 

“Ehhh?!” 


	39. Epilogue

**Sebastian’s Point of View**

I smiled gently at my sleeping Kitten, who rested peacefully in my arms, her mouth curved in a soft smile. She wasn’t a demon, but she now permanently had the features she acquired when she had gotten angry before. 

I had no idea why the pendant had shattered, but as long as it was no longer causing my Kitten pain, I didn’t care to know. 

I also had no idea that she would so openly offer to let me finally give her what I wanted. I suppose I  _ should  _ have, considering her personality. But it came as such a shock, I was nearly paralyzed. 

I softly kissed F/N’s forehead, and she moved closer to me. I smiled at her unconscious desire to cuddle; it seemed to be a hidden, kittenish side that I had neglected to notice. I would definitely tease her about it later. 

“Thank you for adoring this pitiable demon, F/N; you’re my treasured kitten,” I spoke softly into her hair. 

**Your Point of View**

“Sebastian...” you mumbled as you braced yourself for a yawn, walking into the kitchen area. The male turned to face you and then immediately turned away. 

“F/N, would you cover yourself  _ a little? _ Otherwise I’ll stick to you like glue...” 

“Mmm? Whatdyamean?” you slurred with morning sleepiness. “I’m wearing that one shirt and pants; get your head out of the gutter, ya perv.” 

“You’re  _ naked _ , you little temptress,” he softly hissed, determinedly staring away from you. 

“I am n—oh. I’ll be back.” You could practically hear Sebastian shaking his head at you as you went back to your bed and dressed. “You can open your eyes, moron.” 

“I didn’t close them; I was watching you,” Sebastian replied, a faint smile on his face. “And speaking of watching...” Sebastian glared at the door. “Stop loitering outside, you little eavesdroppers; I can hear you breathing!” 

A nervous chuckle shortly followed, and the two Mavros sisters shortly walked into the room. 

“Sorry, Sebastian, I couldn’t help but pry a little,” Seyr apologized, rubbing the back of her head abashedly. Miss Mavros stared at you with disconcerting intensity. “So I hear you two had a long night.” Seyr’s eyes were sparkling with mischief. “Vi says you were loud enough to wake the entire complex~” You folded your arms, ignoring the blush on your face. 

“Who cares?” you grumbled, making Seyr laugh as she walked up to you and squeezed your cheeks. 

“I’m just happy you’re having fun for a change, you little imp. You looked really unhappy at Christmas, so I’m glad you’ve started the new year walking on cloud nine. I’ve never seen Sebastian with such a delighted expression either—must’ve been some night!” Sebastian, as if on cue, blushed, making Seyr laugh. “AHA! Now it’s you who’s embarrassed and not me! Payback!” 

You laughed too, and so did Sebastian. Shockingly enough, Miss Mavros did the same, her laugh much like her sister’s. 

You still tensed as Miss Mavros walked up to Sebastian. But what she did next confused you. The woman bowed her head. 

“Sebastian, I apologize for all I have put you through. It was not right of me to keep coming after you when you refused me time and time again. I was being stupid, controlled by my desire for a handsome man that would satisfy my needs. I admit I killed my poor husband to be with you, and I will turn myself in to the police afterwards. I am transferring the apartment ownership to you for you to do with as you please.” 

Seyr whacked Miss Mavros on the back of the head. For a moment, Miss Mavros didn’t react. Then: “What did you do that for?! Sis, I’m apologizing just like you said I should!” 

“You’re too serious; stop ruining the happy couple’s mood,” Seyr grumbled. 

“I’m going to jail; how can I be happy about that?” 

“Hey, you brought that on yourself, Vi. I’ll come visit you so you won’t be lonely, but you have to serve time for being a bitch. I feel bad for your husband, trying to get out of being punished.” Miss Mavros sighed. 

“Sorry, F/N, Sebastian, I really don’t have it in me to smile about this situation. I do feel guilt for what I did, especially as a 42-year old woman; I’m far past my prime. Although,” Miss Mavros’ lips twitched slightly. “I must say that I feel like I missed out, considering how loud you two were. Mrs. Turner complained that she couldn’t get rid of her nosebleed and that her husband couldn’t sleep.” Miss Mavros giggled slightly at Sebastian’s flustered look. “I’ll be at the police station if you need me.” 

“I could have lived without that information, Vivian,” Sebastian muttered. “And why was Mrs. Turner having a nosebleed?” 

“Ooh, I wonder if it’s like in anime where—” 

“What’s anime?” you and Sebastian both questioned, making Seyr sigh exasperatedly. 

“Okay, you two, I’m going to enlighten you with some very good entertainment when you next visit. Although when you do, don’t be too loud; I for one like my beauty sleep.” Seyr winked at you before she followed her sister out the door with a final wave, leaving you and Sebastian to simultaneously sigh. 

“Too loud,” you mumbled. “This is why I don’t live with people.” Sebastian chuckled. 

“Then when the apartment ownership transfers to me, I can sell this place and move wherever you like. Or I can demolish it and build from scratch. If you really want, we can just stay here in this small apartment. We can do whatever we want, F/N.” You smiled. 

“You really do like to go above and beyond for me, don’t you?” Sebastian grinned.

“But of course. For you are my dearest little Discolored Soul.”

**Author's Note:**

> I originally published this on Wattpad; if you'd like to see more of my work, I highly encourage you to pay Sebastian and I a visit. I don't bite!   
> Much.


End file.
